Our Story

Founded in 2014 by Tom and Steuart Walton, Blue Crane was first known as Ropeswing Group, then established to enhance downtown Bentonville’s food and beverage scene. Our first project, The Preacher’s Son, an upscale restaurant completed in 2016, is a cornerstone for design quality and culinary excellence in downtown Bentonville. At the time, Ropeswing Group both developed real estate and operated culinary and hospitality concepts. As the number of projects and our interest in other types of real estate like housing, retail, and office grew, it became evident that there was a need for a focused platform for real estate investments and development. In 2018, Blue Crane spun-off from the current Ropeswing Hospitality Group to focus entirely on the development and management of place-making real estate across Northwest Arkansas. Some of Blue Crane’s earlier projects include The Pressroom, 8th Street Market, The Record, and the renovation of the former Massey Hotel.

In partnership with Runway, Blue Crane has continued to evolve in our pursuit of projects, both large and small, that warrants the greatest community impact. Some of our latest projects include Crystal Flats, 202 Railside, Town Branch and Downtown Bentonville Hotel. Blue Crane also seeks to partner with others in the community all with the express goal of ‘creating places for humanity to flourish In Northwest Arkansas’.