LITTLE ROCK — Main Street is the heart of small-town America, and revitalization projects are paying off for two towns in the Three Rivers area.
The Main Street Arkansas program handed out awards statewide on Jan. 11. Several went to Main Street Batesville and Main Street Searcy organizations, recognizing the outstanding achievements and the revitalization of their downtown areas.
Main Street Searcy received two awards: The Best Special Event award was earned for the Main Street Searcy Get Down Downtown festival, and Roy and Nancy Showalter received the Best Facade Renovation Under $10,000 honor for the exterior rehabilitation of their business, Stotts Drug Co.
“Last year, award nominations were accepted by the Main Street Arkansas staff in Little Rock as a way to recognize the work of Main Street communities across the state,” said Amy Burton, Searcy Main Street executive director. “Awards are given out every two to three years in conjunction with the Arkansas Municipal League’s winter meeting.”
The Stotts Drug Co. landmark building went through a revitalization, but instead ofmodernizing the appearance, Showalter said she wanted to bring the building back to its original glory. The old aluminum siding was removed from the front of the store to reveal the original storefront. No one remembered the original colors, so Showalter had it painted two shades of brown with gold.
“As for the question about the biggest project, that’s a hard one to answer,” Burton said. “We’ve been involved with so many things. We’ve been very fortunate to have great volunteers and community support to help us do so much. Last year, we landscaped the Spruce Street parking lot, worked on building-renovation projects, wayfinding signage, business recruitment and retention activities, and special events such as Get Down Downtown.”
Get Down Downtown is an annual twoday event held each fall in downtown Searcy.
Main Street Batesville won three awards: the Best Exterior Signage award, given to Gilbert and Melody Gomez for their businesses Impulse and Body Fit; the Back From the Brink award, received by the Landers Theater/ Fellowship Bible Church; and the Best Public/ Private Partnership award, given to Citizens for Downtown Batesville, Citizens Bank ofBatesville and Main Street Batesville.
“Our biggest project was the Landers Theater renovation, but our partnership with Citizens will have a large economic impact over a period of years,” said Paula Grimes, Main Street Batesville executive director.
“I work with the merchant or building owner to complete the application, get the drawings done, get Main Street Arkansas and the Historic District Commission approval (when appropriate), help them get estimates on work to be done; then all that is presented to the special Citizens for Downtown board at Citizens Bank, and they provide the money to pay three-fourths of the cost of the project.”
The Landers Theater is a three-story stone and brick building that was once used to entertain audiences with vaudeville acts and X-rated movies, and an alleged gentleman’s club was transformed to host church services.
Fellowship Bible Church Pastor John Mark Rutter said grants helped to pay to refurbish the old building.
The facade remained historically correct, along with the marquee, but the back wall had to be replaced where theroof had collapsed.
Main Street Arkansas is a program of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.
The Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas is the private nonprofit sponsor, and the Arkansas Department of Economic Development provides assistance through the Main Street Arkansas Advisory Board.
For more information on the Main Street Arkansas program, write the program at 1500 Tower Building, 323Center St., Little Rock, AR 72201; call (501) 324-9880 or TDD (501) 324-9811;
email info@arkansaspreservation.org; or visit www.mainstreetarkansas.com.
Staff writer Jeanni Brosius can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or jbrosius@arkansasonline.com.
Three Rivers, Pages 46 on 01/19/2012