A new 12,000-square-foot fire station in Pine Bluff, funded by a sales tax passed three years ago, is evidence of the Jefferson County city’s desire for progress, city leaders said.
Station No. 3, at West 32nd Avenue and Beech Street in the center of Pine Bluff, opened earlier this month and replaced a station built in 1952.
It cost about $2.5 million to build and was paid for with a five-eighths percent citywide sales tax that voters approved in February 2011.
The tax generates about $4.5 million yearly and will be used to repay bonds on seven capital-improvement projects totaling $21.5 million.
In addition to the new fire station, the tax paid for renovations to three of the city’s six other fire stations.
“Our citizens are seeing their tax dollars at work,” said Mayor Debe Hollingsworth. “It’s real. You can talk about a tax and what it can do, but now it’s coming to fruition.”
Pine Bluff residents voted 2,620 to 1,954 to pass the five-eighths percent sales tax. Jefferson County voters also approved - 4,763 to 2,350 - a three-eighths percent sales tax earmarked for economic improvements.
“It was a joint effort,” Hollingsworth said of passing the taxes. “I think we were ready for progress.”
Other capital-improvement projects include upgrades in the city’s sewer and drainage systems, expansion of the city’s animal shelter, street repairs, improvements for the Pine Bluff Police Department and construction of a multipurpose community center.
Construction is to begin soon on a $330,000 splashpad water park near Lake Saracen, and city leaders are gathering information on developing an aquatic center.
“This tax is doing what it was designed to do,” Alderman Steven Mays said. “People wanted to see a change in Pine Bluff. They wanted to see Pine Bluff grow. This is proof of that.
“We are positioning ourself in the long run,” he said. “Pine Bluff will be a top city once again. I think our citizens want to see a better quality of life. We want to be a progressive city.”
The new f ire station features three bays and restrooms for male and female firefighters.
Of the 100 Pine Bluff Fire Department firefighters, five are women, said Fire and Emergency Services Chief Shauwn Howell.
The old station did not have separate restrooms, had only one bay and consisted of only 2,000 square feet.
Howell said at times parked vehicles could block trucks at the old station.
The new station’s bays are “drive-thu,” he said, meaning trucks can enter either side of the building and drive through the bays rather than having to back into them.
“It’s a state-of-the-art facility,” he said. “We can use a bay for storage, we can pull trucks out of them, and there’s enough room to be used for training or a multipurpose room.
“We were looking 50 years out when we designed this to try to anticipate our needs,” Howell said.
“One of the main issues with the old station was that it wasn’t big enough. This is a step in the right direction.”
The new station is also in a high-visibility area downtown, Hollingsworth said.
“It’s in the heart of our city,” she said. “We’re very proud of it. This is a symbol of us moving forward.”
She said she will promote the station, along with other improvements made possible by the tax revenue, when recruiting new businesses to Pine Bluff.
Potential industries often look for schools, public safety programs, parks and other “quality of place” factors when relocating, she said.
“The environment of economic development has somewhat changed,” Hollingsworth said. “New businesses look at the happiness and energy of a community.
“We’ve been down, but we have to break through this cloud,” she said. “This is a start.”
Arkansas, Pages 7 on 03/24/2014