While downtown Conway is primarily known for its diverse retail and restaurant offerings, the district is also an important employment center for the city and region. Downtown Conway is home to more than 2,900 employees each weekday. From the headquarters of a publicly traded financial institution to technology companies, office users in downtown are diverse, but they all share common reasons for selecting a downtown location.

Location Matters

Situated directly between the majority of Conway’s residential neighborhoods and the interstate corridor, downtown offers a locational advantage for office users.

“It’s easily accessible from everywhere in Conway, and it’s seemingly just minutes away from anything you want,” said Michael Taylor, chief customer officer at Acoustic.

“We enjoy being close enough to our dealerships to get there quickly, but our location also provides ease for those who are visiting us from any of our dealerships,” said Nita Freeman, chief marketing officer for Chris Crain Enterprises, noting that the downtown location provides accessibility to the company’s multiple dealerships across two states and their 450 employees.

Amenities

Access to retail, restaurants, and other businesses is seen as a strength for employees.

“Being downtown has been incredibly beneficial for both our team and our business,” said Lauren Blackwell, senior manager of human resources for Conway-based TriTechne. “Our employees enjoy the walkability, local restaurants, shops, and the overall vibrancy of the area. It fosters collaboration, boosts morale, and allows us to stay closely connected with other local businesses and the community.”

“Downtown also offered our employees walkability to practically every service you might need in a typical day, including dining, salon, automotive, banking, retail, pharmacy, and the list goes on and on,” said Dustin Tackett, transportation team leader for Garver. “You could even grab last-minute flowers or gifts for those special occasions that snuck up on you.”

As Garver continues to grow its Conway office, the downtown location has become central to its plans.

“As we look toward the future, our employees have expressed a strong desire to remain within the downtown community as our growth requires us to consider alternative locations,” Tackett said.

An Eye to the Future

Downtown’s walkability was a recurring theme among employers discussing the area’s advantages. Whether walking to lunch, taking a midafternoon break, or aligning with a company wellness strategy, companies believe downtown offers a unique advantage.

While walkability ranks high, parking was universally mentioned as the most important issue to address for continued growth in the district. Other suggestions included a focus on arts, reimagined public spaces, a small hotel, and continued growth in the retail and restaurant sector.

“Downtown Conway is already a fantastic place to work, but continued improvements to parking, infrastructure, and office-focused amenities would make it even stronger,” Blackwell said. “Ongoing investment in thoughtful development and support for local businesses will help ensure downtown continues to thrive as a premier office destination.”

“I think downtown could benefit from reimagined parking, access to arts, better multiuse access to the larger trail systems around the city — which we’re getting with Connect Conway — and potentially a small hotel that provides walkability downtown,” Tackett said. “Some covered spaces, even if small in area, could also make the public areas and parks downtown more accessible and attractive during warm, sunny days, allowing people to eat their lunch or take a short break outdoors.”