PINE BLUFF -- Mayor Debe Hollingsworth said work to clear debris from collapsed buildings and reopen Main Street between Fourth and Fifth avenues has gained steam.
She said the debris removal had been "significantly delayed" while electric crews rerouted a major power source that feeds much of downtown. Hollingsworth said the control unit for the power source was attached to one of the buildings that had been slated to come down.
"Work has picked up now that the delay is over," the mayor said. "No one wants Main Street reopened more than I do. It's been a big issue, but I feel like it's being taken care of. We are hopeful it will reopen in a few weeks."
An exact date for when officials expect Main Street to reopen has not been set, however.
Main Street between Fourth and Fifth avenues was blocked off in February after the former Band Museum building and a former VFW post collapsed. The buildings were vacant, and no one was injured.
The roadway was partially reopened in the spring but was closed again in July after city engineers determined that two other nearby vacant buildings were in the early stages of collapse.
Danny Bradshaw, the owner of Mr. Brick Antique Brick Buy and Sell, has purchased the properties, along with several others beside them, to demolish the buildings and resell the bricks.
Dee Herring-Gatlin, chairman of the Pine Bluff Historical Commission and a real estate broker, is working closely with Bradshaw on the project but said there is no firm timeline for when the work will be done.
Bradshaw has deferred all questions on the project to Gatlin. While Bradshaw is claiming the bricks, Gatlin is salvaging wooden beams, doors, windows, hand-hewn lumber and roofing tresses.
Hollingsworth said her office has been assured by Gatlin and Bradshaw that their crews are working expeditiously to remove all of the debris so that Main Street can reopen by the end of the year at the latest.
The Pine Bluff Fire Department has been conducting inspections of downtown's aging buildings over the past year. The city is contacting the owners of buildings deemed unsafe, and they could face fines or jail time if they continue to neglect their properties.
Recently, the owner of a partially collapsed downtown building appeared in court after city officials said he neglected to clean it up or tear it down. Garland Trice was fined $1,000 for defying the city's orders after the building was condemned in February.
Monticello District Judge Sara Hartness, who presided over the case after local judges asked to recuse, also sentenced Trice to 30 days in jail, which she suspended on the condition that Trice comply with the law.
Trice, who acted as his own attorney, said he plans to hire a lawyer and file an appeal, according to court officials.
Architects have said poor construction practices, along with neglect, have caused many buildings in downtown Pine Bluff to become dangerous over the years.
Meanwhile, patience is beginning to run thin for some Pine Bluff residents dealing with Main Street being blocked off between Fourth and Fifth avenues while the demolition crews work to remove the debris from the collapsed buildings.
Pine Bluff resident April Simms said she has been thinking about opening a downtown business for several months but has put off acting on her ideas due to the street closure and unsightliness of the area.
"It's just off-putting, seeing downtown this way," Simms said. "I don't think the city handled this very well, because all of this mess should have been gone months ago. You have a lot of people who look at this and wonder if it will ever be gone."
Joe Landers, who runs a small landscaping business in Pine Bluff, said the lack of a direct route through the heart of downtown has delayed him on more than one occasion.
He shook his head Thursday afternoon as he looked at the barricades blocking the street.
"Every detour takes about four or five minutes," Landers said. "Over time, that can add up. I am not making any money when I am driving around. I am ready for this street to reopen."
State Desk on 10/05/2015