/news-archive/tag/go-forward-pine-bluff/ ����Vlog��ý Little Rock Wed, 30 Aug 2017 18:56:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /news-archive/2017/08/30/arkansas-economic-development-institute/ Wed, 30 Aug 2017 18:56:30 +0000 /news/?p=67769 ... Arkansas Economic Development Institute to begin work with ‘Go Forward Pine Bluff’]]> The at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will soon team up with the to lay the groundwork for the revitalization of downtown Pine Bluff. The project was devised as a blueprint to address challenges faced by the city, such as high unemployment rates and population decline. The initiative’s ultimate goal is to make Pine Bluff a place its residents are proud to call home. Stephen Luoni, director of the Community Design Center, will work with his team to compose a master plan to put the project in motion. The plan will include baseline drawings of existing conditions, downtown development proposals, master street and landscape arrangements, and the final report. Before the plan is constructed, Luoni and his team will spend the next few weeks evaluating the status of downtown properties to identify buildings that have been condemned and abandoned, or have potential for redevelopment. The Arkansas Economic Development Institute will provide logistical assistance to Luoni and his team by mapping each property downtown using the institute’s geographic information system laboratory. This resource will allow members of the institute to identify the owner of each property, along with the property’s occupational and zoning status. “Outside the immediate downtown district, there will be other areas identified as the planning process moves on that they’ll need that information,” said Jim Youngquist, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Institute. “We’ll be providing the Community Design Center parcel and infrastructure information as they do their plan.”]]> /news-archive/2017/07/07/arkansas-economic-development-institute-pine-bluff-revitalization/ Fri, 07 Jul 2017 13:57:18 +0000 /news/?p=67427 ... Arkansas Economic Development Institute receives grant to assist in Pine Bluff revitalization]]> at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received $10,000 from the Simmons First Foundation to assist efforts to revitalize the city of Pine Bluff.  The initiative, led by Simmons First Foundation, aims to implement a blueprint to address the systemic problems and challenges in the city. The blueprint emphasizes four major areas: economic development, education, government and infrastructure, and quality of life. Pine Bluff has experienced numerous challenges, such as a population drop, high unemployment rates, and deterioration of residential and commercial buildings. The campaign will develop an extensive plan to increase and maintain financial stability. The Arkansas Economic Development Institute will develop and prepare a community economic development profile for Pine Bluff aimed toward the city’s best future economic development opportunities. The Institute will also develop and facilitate town hall meetings to gain feedback from citizens in the city. The institute will be working the to develop a master plan for downtown Pine Bluff and bordering neighborhoods. It will include baseline drawings of existing conditions, master street and landscape plans, downtown development plans, and the final report along with visualizations.]]>