Port Of Little Rock Purchases 42 Acres For Expansion
The Port of Little Rock has purchased 42.39 acres of undeveloped property near the College Station community with plans to build a third entrance into the port by extending Bankhead Drive. Arkansas Business reported the purchase March 29.
The port authority has been actively exploring expansion opportunities, according to its 2008 Master Real Estate Acquisition Plan.
The latest purchase included five parcels on the west side of the port, an industrial park that hosts 53 businesses with about 10,000 employees. The port is working with Crafton Tull Engineers to design the new road network. Funding plans have not yet been finalized, however.
The port has worked closely with the Greater Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce to explore viable options for real estate purchases.
In 2021-22, the port began significant efforts to acquire nearly 1,000 acres to create a new industrial megasite, which was officially established in 2025 as the 875-acre Little Rock Port Megasite. In 2024, the port approved the purchase of 867 acres for approximately $4.35 million to address low inventory.
The Faymonville Group announced in October 2024 that it is building a $100 million manufacturing facility (409,000 square feet, scaling to 624,000 square feet) at the port, which is expected to be operational by the second quarter of 2026. It will manufacture specialized, heavy-load transport trailers, including low-loaders, modular vehicles and self-propelled trailers for the North American market. This facility is the company’s first U.S. production site.
Ground was broken in July 2025 on a new 930,000+ square-foot logistics facility to be operated by Amazon, expected to be operational by 2027. It is expected to provide 1,000 jobs.
In January, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that Google was the developer of a $1 billion data center project at the port. According to documents filed with the Little Rock Engineer District, the project will consist of five industrial buildings totaling 1.43 million square feet, two office buildings and an electrical substation. Executive Director Bryan Day and other city and port officials have said they signed non-disclosure agreements not to publicly discuss the project.
