In the early 2000s, the city of Fort Smith began making strides to enhance the old downtown area. The city built an riverfront amphitheater, a massive library, several updated municipal parks, and, as one of the last completed projects, the convention center.
The building is quite large and rather straightforward in its design. (1) a carpeted perimeter follows the flow of the building on the inside, so the visitor walks to the destination; no elevators, escalators, or stairs exist, nor are they needed; (2) a wing devoted to performing arts with a large stage and expansive seating are accessed from the Wheeler Avenue entrance; this area is big enough for hundreds and hundreds of people; (3) the grand hall, which is the center of the building, can be reached from almost any point inside the convention center; the grand hall is windowless and may be divided into smaller section if so desired.
The Fort Smith Convention Center is a very "meat-and-potatoes" kind of place; with square-footage and a design pattern that will more than satisfy large or small assembly needs; the interior is dated with late '90s and early '00s decor and color scheme; however, the entire building maintains these absolutely mammoth exterior windows that just bleed light into the perimeter hallways. A lot of visitors simply sit on the hallway benches and absorb the cityscape. read more
