When city officials, donors and other dignitaries gather next month for the grand opening of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts (AMFA), it will be the biggest thing to happen in downtown Little Rock since the Clinton Presidential Center opened in November 2004. AMFA was the subject of Wednesday's column. Writing that column got me to thinking about things that are coming soon for downtown and things that are on my wish list.
The city of Little Rock contributed more than $31 million generated by a hotel tax revenue bond. Private support for AMFA from the likes of Warren and Harriet Stephens (who co-chaired the capital campaign), the Windgate Foundation, Terri and Chuck Erwin and the Winthrop Rockefeller Charitable Trust allowed the fundraising goal to grow from $128 million to more than $150 million.
In addition to AMFA, the coming-soon list includes:
The Artspace Windgate campus in the emerging East Village part of downtown. Minneapolis-based Artspace Projects announced last fall that it has partnered with the Windgate Foundation to build a mixed-use project for the arts. The four-story, 94,000-square-foot development will have 60 live-work units for artists. Artists and their families will be actively recruited to the state.
There will be 10 artist-in-residence studios, event and gallery space, an outdoor courtyard and 16,000 square feet of commercial space. Completion of the $36 million project is projected for the fall of 2024.
"When we look at what makes cities great, it's a combination of affordable housing, economic opportunity and exciting quality of life," says Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. "The Artspace Windgate campus provides all three. The impact of this project will be felt in the immediate neighborhood and beyond our city limits."
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra's $9 million Stella Boyle Smith Music Center. The 20,000-square-foot facility will be between the Clinton Presidential Center and Heifer International campuses. Earlier this year, ASO announced that the late Lee Ronnel left the largest individual gift in the organization's 56-year history. The amount wasn't disclosed, but it will allow development of the E. Lee Ronnel Music Academy. The academy will expand ASO's capacity to serve children and adults through youth orchestras, strings classes, summer strings camps, children's choirs and more.
Lyon College's dental and veterinary schools in the Heifer International building. The two schools will bring almost 1,000 students, faculty members and staff members downtown each day once they're at capacity. That, in turn, could lead to a downtown residential boom.
Expansion of the so-called downtown ambassadors program following decisions by the city of Little Rock and Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau to put funds into the effort. Ambassadors will work closely with the Little Rock Police Department, pick up trash, remove graffiti and do other things to make downtown more pleasant.
The Downtown Little Rock Partnership hopes to contract with a private company to provide the services. Ambassadors will be expected to engage the public to create positive experiences, provide directions, provide support for downtown events and serve as an additional set of eyes and ears for LRPD.
Lighting the Broadway Bridge, a project the venerable Little Rock Rotary Club has taken on. In April 2013, Entergy Arkansas announced that it had donated $2 million to help light the Junction Bridge, Main Street Bridge and Clinton Presidential Park Bridge. The donation marked the company's 100th anniversary.
The Broadway Bridge wasn't included in the donation because it was about to be torn down and rebuilt. Thanks to the foresight of former Pulaski County Judge Buddy Villines, the new Broadway Bridge is the most distinctive of the bridges connecting Little Rock and North Little Rock. It deserves to be lighted.
Now, here's my list of things that also must happen for downtown to reach its potential:
Fill the more than 80 LRPD vacancies. That will allow the department to have officers who walk beats downtown. The biggest problem downtown is an image problem. People across the state think it's not safe (actually it is; the vast majority of crimes in Little Rock occur in other neighborhoods). Having those officers walking the sidewalks day and night will send a message to people in all 75 counties that it's safe to come downtown.
Restore Capitol Avenue. Scott created a committee to make recommendations. He needs to take those recommendations seriously. The road leading to the steps of the state Capitol should be the grandest urban boulevard in Arkansas. The city must invest in a smoother street, improved lighting and extensive landscaping. Meanwhile, the Little Rock Regional Chamber should make it a priority to recruit corporate offices to fill buildings along Capitol Avenue.
Attract developers to transform the empty Boyle and Donaghey buildings on Main Street into residential housing serving the dental and veterinary schools. The part of Main Street the city has dubbed the Creative Corridor will never thrive as long as its two tallest buildings sit empty.
Convince the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to have a major downtown presence. How about moving the business school and associating it with the Little Rock Technology Park?
Properly develop the urban greenspace adjacent to the River Market District that's being created by the 30 Crossing highway project.
Senior Editor Rex Nelson's column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He's also the author of the Southern Fried blog at rexnelsonsouthernfried.com.