LITTLE ROCK — Little Rock's Main Street has the potential to support four distinct districts that would grab the attention of a variety of people and investors, urban planners said Friday after capping a three-day study of the corridor by the Mayors' Institute on City Design.
Mayor Mark Stodola said he was encouraged by the team's findings and that he wants to create a task force to respond to their ideas.
After a walking tour and meetings with local developers and property owners, the team of architects and urban planners concluded that Main Street has a good mix of historic buildings and space for new construction.
Among the ideas:
Directly south of the Arkansas River, parking lots can be filled in with venues that will connect Main Street to the bustling Markham Street and President Clinton Avenue.
Empty storefronts farther south can be renovated and promoted as the street's historic core.
New development and government offices can help create public plazas, while the Main Street-Interstate 630 intersection can become a more active, cultural area.
A sense of connectivity can be gained by adding lighting, landscaping and other design elements along Main Street. Team members called the tree-barren stretch of sidewalk in front of the convention center "a sweaty, hot walk."
The team also said Little Rock needs to create more access points to the river, which is blocked by buildings and is inaccessible in part because of La Harpe Boulevard.
But before the capital city can entertain those ideas, the team said, city officials, property owners and residents need to agree on Main Street's future and what kind of design standards and fundingthey're willing to commit to.
There "doesn't seem to be a shared vision," said Maurice Cox, director of design for the National Endowment for the Arts, which sponsored the institute, which cost the city less than $5,000 to host.
They suggested that Little Rock sponsor more community forums to increase public support and said hiring a consulting firm to assist in creating a new master plan for Main Street was vital. Part of that planning process would include addressing parking needs.
"We are envisioning no more parking decks on Main Street," said Cox, who said parking lots on Main Street detract from what the city wants to accomplish.
Stodola said some of the suggestions can be quickly implemented, such as creating a continual canopy of trees along Main Street as well as President Clinton Avenue.
But suggestions about hiring a consulting firm and an economic development director will require a hard look at the city's budget, he said.
The team suggested hiring an economic development director within six months to oversee an analysis of the city's demographics, strengths and market realities. Little Rock also needs to look at existing funding opportunities, such as creating a tax-increment financing district to generate public investment.
"They've given us good bones, and now it's up to us as a community to put the flesh on it," said Sharon Priest, director of the Downtown Partnership.
Off-site parking will be a tough sell to investors, said Bob East, whose construction company has done a lot of work downtown. But, he said, the team's suggestions gave him and other downtown supporters a "kick-start" that they need to coordinate the many efforts to revitalize Main Street.
Arkansas, Pages 12 on 08/29/2009