BUSINESS MATTERS

Finding new pieces for the economic puzzle that forms Pine Bluff

Chatting just a few blocks away from the literal and figurative crumbling of Pine Bluff's downtown, Jefferson County Economic Development Alliance CEO Lou Ann Nisbett encouraged a visitor to consider buying a home in the city.

"Property is pretty cheap now," Nisbett said. "I don't know that it will be much longer."

Nisbett, as economic developers and a good number of folks in the Arkansas Delta tend to be, is optimistic about the region's future. She was touting the job growth her county has experienced in the five years since residents voted in a 3/8th cent sales tax for economic development. Since 2012, the region has retained or recruited businesses pledging more than $10 billion in capital investment and the creation (and in some cases saving) of about 3,500 jobs.

Those projects, in Nisbett's estimation, represent more economic development in the last five years than Pine Bluff and surrounding towns saw in the previous 20 combined.

Certainly, the town is not without its troubles. As you likely read on our front page Thursday, portions of downtown Pine Bluff have been shut down and traffic rerouted because bricks are falling from buildings into the streets.

On the same day that story was published, nearly 500 people gathered at the Pine Bluff Convention Center to discuss the Arkansas Delta and "Why It Still Matters." Simmons Bank presented the event, which was co-chaired by E. Ritter & Co. Executive Vice President Ritter Arnold of Marked Tree and Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge Raymond Abramson, a Holly Grove native.

The symposium offered, of course, plenty of Johnny Cash and catfish. And a heaping helping of Nisbett's optimism was also available during sessions focused on agriculture, health care, education, race relations and economic development.

Certainly, there have been other efforts to kick-start the region. There is an ongoing, decades-long conversation about how to solve the puzzle that is the Arkansas Delta.

Corporations don't generally choose to locate where there are long patterns of out migration. People don't want to live where there are no jobs. Even if there are jobs, people don't want to live where there are limited retail options. Retail doesn't want to locate where there aren't people.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

People also want to go where there are quality-of-life amenities.

This is an area where the Arkansas Delta could legitimately have a leg up on others.

Driving into Pine Bluff and catching a glimpse of the Arkansas River is a good reminder of the scenic beauty and outdoor opportunities that exist nearby. There are places to kayak and explore. Hunting and fishing locales are plentiful.

These natural entertainment options are on par with the sorts of quality-of-life amenities that other regions are investing millions to create from scratch. If marketed properly, perhaps they could help sell the area.

First, though, there are major upgrades needed in education. Broadband services are lacking. Too many people and entities outside the state own farmland, making it even more difficult for local farmers to make ends meet.

None of the folks in the region, even the most optimistic ones, are blind to these issues.

Watch during the coming year for the formation of a council focused specifically on the Arkansas Delta. Those pushing for the coalition envision, ultimately, a lobbying force that will put the economic development pieces, and crumbling downtowns, back together.

If you have a tip, call Chris Bahn at (479) 365-2972 or email him at

cbahn@arkansasonline.com

SundayMonday Business on 04/10/2016

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