Future of downtown discussed at Power Up Little Rock

Little Rock, Arkansas – Wednesday’s meeting with city officials, proprietors of nearby businesses, and residents was to discuss potential for downtown Little Rock.

The future of Downtown Little Rock was covered during the Power Up Little Rock Panel Discussion on Wednesday. One Health, the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Downtown Little Rock Partnership, and the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce were represented on the panel.

According to Gabe Holmstrom, executive director of the Downtown Little Rock Partnership, improvements are imminent.

“Just wait because the downtown that you see now and what we see every day, is going to look very different in about 3 years,” Holmstrom said.

Several projects were discussed, including the rebuilding of the Central Arkansas Library System’s Main Library, the future Veterinary School and Dental School, a tourist master plan, and more.

“Creating density in the population is something that we spend a lot of time thinking about, we want more people down here,” Holmstrom said.

He declared that an ambassador program would be restarted.

“This is going to be a professionally run ambassador program where we’re going to have people on foot, on bicycle and on golf carts 7 days a week, so if someone wants to be walked to their car, they will call a number and an ambassador will be dispatched and walked to their car,” Holmstrom said.

A deck park is a different project that was made feasible by a planning grant from the US Department of Transportation. This won’t be your typical park, according to Jay Chesshir, president and CEO of the Little Rock Regional Chamber.

“Literally above the interstate where you would have between 6th and 9th street a true park above the interstate,” Chesshir said.

He claimed that while having people live, work, and play nearby has always been the intention, the ultimate goal is to have them stay.

“Amazing things, amazing investments, and giving people a reason to either choose to come here, to come back, or more importantly to live here,” Chesshir said.

Holmstrom believed that downtown had a promising future.

“There are a lot of things in the books and that are underway right now, that is really going to make this city look a lot different in the coming years,” Holmstrom said.