TL;DR: On June 11, 2026, the Walton family announced plans for a new university on the former Walmart Home Office site in Bentonville (Talk Business & Politics, June 11, 2026).
Copenhagen Architects Designing Bentonville University Campus
On June 11, 2026, the Walton family announced that Copenhagen-based BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group has been selected to plan and design a new university on the site of the former Walmart Home Office at Southwest Eighth Street and South Walton Boulevard in Bentonville (Talk Business & Politics, June 11, 2026). The firm will oversee the transformation of this historic corporate campus, bringing a distinct European architectural perspective to Northwest Arkansas. The project aims to reshape the area, creating a new academic presence in the city. Discover Bentonville, Arkansas as this development adds a significant educational component to the local landscape.
Conceptual designs show three four- to five-story buildings on two city blocks with green spaces and public squares; the university's three initial buildings comprise about 422,000 square feet and include an academic building, a student residence and a makerspace (Talk Business & Politics, June 11, 2026). This footprint suggests a compact, walkable campus focused on collaboration and student life. The inclusion of a makerspace indicates a curriculum centered on innovation and hands-on learning. A cost estimate for the university buildings was not disclosed (Talk Business & Politics, June 11, 2026), leaving the financial scope of the project open for future discussion.
Walton Family Establishes STEM University at Bentonville Site
The Walton family announced plans in February 2026 to establish a university at the former Walmart Home Office site as part of a larger mixed-use development, with Tom Walton and Steuart Walton revealing the initiative in May 2025 (Talk Business & Politics, February 4, 2026). Arkansas-based Polk Stanley Wilcox serves as the architect of record for the project, a firm previously responsible for designing the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine on the Crystal Bridges campus (Talk Business & Politics, June 11, 2026). The university will be led by Dr. David Mazyck, who was named the inaugural president on February 4, 2026, following a career as a professor and head of the School of Engineering Design and Innovation at Penn State (Talk Business & Politics, February 4, 2026). Mazyck holds a doctorate in environmental engineering from Penn State and previously served in the U.S. Army (Talk Business & Politics, February 4, 2026). For those seeking to navigate this shifting landscape, our featured listings offer a current view of the market.
The establishment of a STEM-focused institution on this historic site signals a significant shift in the region's development trajectory. By appointing a leader with specialized engineering experience, the family aims to position the university as a center for innovation. It marks a significant shift for a site that was the center of Walmart's corporate operations for decades.
Walton Brothers' Office Portfolio Acquisition Reshapes Bentonville's Core
The university campus will be integrated into a Runway Group-led mixed-use development with office, hotel, multifamily and retail components; Runway Group is a Bentonville-based diversified holding company led by Tom Walton and Steuart Walton (Talk Business & Politics, February 4, 2026). Ahead of the university campus, two buildings at 508 and 608 SW Eighth Street -- a three-story, 161,340-square-foot building and a single-story, 77,795-square-foot building on 7.79 acres -- were slated for demolition, with about 7,000 tons of concrete and nearly 900 tons of metal structure to be recycled and salvaged (Talk Business & Politics, February 4, 2026). In June 2026, ABN Holdings LLC, owned by Steuart Walton and Tom Walton, purchased 900,302 square feet of office buildings at and north of the former Walmart Home Office -- a three-story, 728,356-square-foot office, a single-story, 41,595-square-foot office and a single-story, 13,665-square-foot office on 37.78 acres at 702 SW Eighth St.; a single-story, 70,244-square-foot office on 6.69 acres at 601 N. Walton Blvd.; and a single-story, 46,442-square-foot office on 5.27 acres at 311 N. Walton Blvd., plus 22.24 acres of parking lots and green space -- for $73.12 million, or $81 per square foot; Walmart was the seller (Talk Business & Politics, June 5, 2026). If you have a property in this area, you can list your home with us.
Former Walmart Home Office Site Acquired by ABN Holdings
In April 2022, Walmart disclosed plans to sell its nearly 65-acre former Home Office site, established by Sam Walton in the early 1970s, to ABN Holdings for $60 million (Talk Business & Politics, June 5, 2026). Walmart did not physically move out until its new 350-acre campus opened in January 2025. Since then, ABN Holdings has acquired the site in pieces: earlier in 2026, it bought the 77,795-square-foot building at 608 SW Eighth St. and the adjacent 161,340-square-foot building at 508 SW Eighth St. for a combined $19.92 million, and in June 2026 it purchased the larger 900,302-square-foot tranche described above (Talk Business & Politics, June 5, 2026).
The ownership structure of ABN Holdings reflects deep local roots, as Tom Walton and Steuart Walton—grandsons of Walmart founders Sam and Helen Walton and sons of Arvest Bank Group chairman Jim Walton—lead the venture (Talk Business & Politics, June 11, 2026). This acquisition marks a pivotal moment in the transformation of the former corporate campus, transitioning from the epicenter of retail operations to a site poised for new commercial development. The retention of the Walton family within the ownership group ensures continuity of vision for the site’s future.
University Plans and Walmart Campus Details
The university is a nonprofit institution focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) that expects to welcome its first class of students in 2029. The institution plans to have tuition paid 'in its initial years of operation' (Talk Business & Politics, June 11, 2026). This structure positions the school as a business-infused entity designed to serve the regional economy.
Separate from this academic development, Walmart's current Home Office campus occupies a 350-acre site unveiled in January 2025. This specific property fronts the east side of SE J Street between Central Avenue and 14th Street/Highway 102 in Bentonville (Walmart corporate, accessed August 2026). The distinct geography of these two sites ensures the university operates on a different footprint from the retail giant's existing corporate headquarters.
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Who is designing the new university on the former Walmart Home Office site?
On June 11, 2026, the Walton family announced that Copenhagen-based BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group has been selected to plan and design the new university on the site of the former Walmart Home Office at Southwest Eighth Street and South Walton Boulevard in Bentonville (Talk Business & Politics, June 11, 2026).
What are the initial buildings planned for the campus?
Conceptual designs show three four- to five-story buildings on two city blocks with green spaces and public squares; the university's three initial buildings comprise about 422,000 square feet and include an academic building, a student residence and a makerspace (Talk Business & Politics, June 11, 2026).
Who was named as the inaugural president of the university?
On February 4, 2026, the Walton family named Dr. David Mazyck as the university's inaugural president; he was most recently professor and head of the School of Engineering Design and Innovation at Penn State, holds a doctorate in environmental engineering from Penn State, and previously served in the U.S. Army (Talk Business & Politics, February 4, 2026).
What is the timeline for the university's opening and tuition?
The university, focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), is nonprofit and business-infused, expects to welcome its first class of students in 2029, and plans to have tuition paid 'in its initial years of operation' (Talk Business & Politics, June 11, 2026).
What is the total purchase price for the surrounding office buildings?
In June 2026, ABN Holdings LLC, owned by Steuart Walton and Tom Walton, purchased 900,302 square feet of office buildings at and north of the former Walmart Home Office for $73.12 million, or $81 per square foot; Walmart was the seller (Talk Business & Politics, June 5, 2026).