GURDON — The downtown area of Gurdon is receiving a face-lift.
The latest renovation includes transforming the First National Bank building, at 106 Main St., into a multipurpose business center, where classes are offered. Mayor Sherry Kelley leads the initiative.
“I just want to equip somebody for their future,” said Kelley, who was elected as the town’s first female mayor three years ago. “We want to give them all the tools necessary to be successful, and also for the businesses that are already established, we want to help them stay strong and healthy.”
Kelley said that while the building is not yet open to the public in a walk-in, free-to-use sense, she said if somebody has a business idea or a dream for a business, to please come and see her.
“We want to do all the groundwork and retail-gap analysis, the profit-loss margin, the startup cost, potential customers, the need and the traffic,” Kelley said. “[We want to] do all that for them before they invest any money so they can have the best start they possibly can.”
She said for the businesses that are already in place, she wants to help them grow and increase their bottom line.
“We want to help everybody stay strong,” Kelley said. “We are offering any Gurdon business that attends a class $20 off their water bill that month.
“We want to encourage them to use smart business-operating practices. We want them to be equipped with the knowledge that is available.”
The business center is equipped with five desktop computers, a wireless printer and a 55-inch flat-screen television for presentations. She said Henderson State University can bring up to 12 laptops for use during the classes.
The center hosted its first class about three weeks ago: a free afternoon seminar titled Marketing Your Business on Facebook. It was taught by Chelsea Goza from the Henderson State University Small Business and Technology Development Center. The class had seven people from Gurdon; one each from Prescott, Arkadelphia and Hot Springs; and two from DeGray Lake Resort State Park.
“Our next seminar is going to be Feb. 2,” Kelley said. “That will be from 1-4:30 p.m., and it is also free, with free child care available. Southern Bancorp will also provide a free lunch.”
Kelley said that while the business center officially opened Dec. 11, she plans to host a grand opening and ribbon-cutting at the beginning of the year.
This is the second building in a two-year span that Kelley has renovated. The first is the new Market on Main event center — which was completed in 2016 — across the street. To renovate Market on Main, Kelley had to apply and receive the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Business Enterprise grant.
“That was a really hard project,” Kelley said. “That building was collapsing in the back, and it about wore me out doing that grant.
“It was so hard, and it was my first grant, and the first one is always the hardest. The construction was also just a real challenge.”
She said that because of the building being in near collapse, they had to bring in the back wall and transform the remaining space into an outdoor patio. The new center now hosts church services, Christmas parties, graduations and other events.
“It is holding its own and is available for just $15 an hour,” Kelley said. “And we are going to keep it at that price so that almost anybody can use it.”
Anyone who wants to use the event center is asked to give her a call at (870) 406-1396.
“But I got that one done, and everyone is enjoying that building as an event center,” Kelley said. “It is being used, and it turned out real good.
“I would point across the street and say, ‘I might do that building one day,’” Kelley said. “And it was a little easier the second time.”
To renovate the century-old building, Kelley applied for the USDA Rural Business Development Grant. Thanks to the grant and the forgiveness of the debt owed, Kelley said, everything was funded at no cost to the city.
Kelley said the Clark County Reuse Fund Committee loaned the city $30,000 about seven years ago to purchase the building, and she said none of that money was paid back until she took office. She managed to pay back $3,000 in two years, and then this year, she successfully petitioned the Reuse Fund Committee to forgive the remaining $27,000 debt.
She said this was performed in support of the RBDG Grant she was writing, and it “strengthened our chance of receiving the grant.”
“This building was much easier,” Kelley said. “The USDA was giving out grants this year, and one of the qualifications for the grant was using the building as a business center.”
She said the construction of the Sun Bio Tech factory — a $1.3 billion project about 9 miles from the new business center — was the inspiration to the renovation. Kelley said Sun Bio Tech is a Chinese-owned company that will use timber in Arkansas to make pulp for various uses.
“I thought a business center would be a good thing because we have the potential for some real growth,” Kelley said.
Kelley said that in her time as mayor, Gurdon has really turned things around.
“So many people drive up and down these streets. We want them to further look into Gurdon,” she said. “If they really looked at the schools, the crime rates and the real estate prices, and the proximity to Arkadelphia with the two universities, I think they could find a good home here.
“We had a lot of things that we had to fix, but things are going our way now. It is pretty amazing.”
Staff writer Sam Pierce can be reached at (501) 244-4314 or spierce@arkansasonline.com.