LITTLE ROCK — Smaller trees will replace the oak trees along Main Street that Little Rock officials had removed over the weekend, a city spokesman announced Monday.
University of Arkansas Community Design Center officials said the oak trees that stood on the north part of Main Street were at the end of their life expectancy and the roots in many places were causing the sidewalk to buckle, a city of Little Rock news release states.
The public has expressed concern since the trees were cut down Saturday.
"We thought most people knew about [the trees being cut down]," Ben Thielemier, communications and marketing manager for the city of Little Rock, said.
"We've had two public meeting about this and talked to a lot of land owners about this. A lot of people have been interested [today], so we wanted to make this information public."
The new trees will be approximately six inches in diameter and 20 to 22 feet tall, and other new landscaping is planned within each block, the news release states.
City of Little Rock officials said the following locations will have new trees:
• The east side of the 100 Block of Main Street will have five new Streetspire oaks.
• The east side of the 200 Block of Main Street will have six Highbeam Overcup oaks.
• In addition to the existing trees on the 300 Block of Main Street, Red Buds, Shumard oak, Black Gum, Red Maple and Chinese Pistache trees will be added.
• On the 500 Block of Main Street, 19 Allee elm trees will be added to the west side of the street and eight Streetspire oak for the east side.