LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - A growing company has plans for development in a developing part of Downtown Little Rock.
Rock Dental Brands, a Little Rock-based dental management company, has announced plans to move its headquarters to the East Village, taking over the building at 6th and Shall streets, vacated by Rock Town Distillery after its move to South Main Street.
According to a press release, the estimated $3.5-million project will include a coffee shop along with room for approximately 100 Rock Dental Brands employees, who will relocate from its offices on President Clinton Ave.
"This is our company's second major expansion in Downtown Little Rock in less than three years,” Rock Dental Brands CEO Merritt Dake said in a written press release. “We’ve been looking for a place to accommodate our company’s growth, and we’re excited to find a new home in an exciting new development like the East Village.”
This addition adds to already rapid growth in the area east of I-30 that sat almost vacant in recent years.
Gabe Holmstrom, executive director of Downtown Little Rock Partnership, said this revitalization wave reflects national trends.
“In the older, industrial areas of towns and cities that have sat empty, people are coming in and finding a new use or a repurpose of these old buildings that have a sense of history, have a character about them that brand new buildings that are built today just don’t necessarily have,” Holmstrom said.
Construction on The Distillery project, as it’s known, should begin in July and be complete by early 2019.
Continued Growth
Meanwhile, the East Village is preparing to welcome a new restaurant in June.
Owners of Cathead’s Diner, a Southern Comfort diner with a full bakery, said they plan to open in the Paint Factory mixed-use development on June 13. The restaurant is located at 515 Shall Ave.
The eatery’s opening comes after months of renovation to the Paint Factory which also houses Cromwell Architects Engineers and 12 Star Flats.
“Everything we're doing is designed with speed in mind,” Cathead’s Diner Kelli Marks said. “We've got five minute ticket times for lunch. We really have the downtown diner in mind with everything that we're doing so you can get in and out very quickly. Nothing is going to take a really long time here.”
Marks said she and the restaurant’s other owners are excited to be joining in the revitalization efforts of East Village.
“We love the East Village, and we're so excited about what's going on down here,” Marks said. “There is so much growth, so bear with us with the construction because there's a lot of stuff that's happening right now.”
A new eStem Public Charter School campus will open in East Village this summer, according to its website.
Construction is also underway on The Bike Shop and The Rail Yard -- a beer garden that will house rotating food trucks and act as the permanent home for Count Porkula BBQ. The building is located at 1212 E 6th Street.
Meanwhile, Phase 1 of the Rock City Yacht Club – including 160 boat slips, a public boat ramp, and a park – is expected to open in Fall 2018. It is located at 1726 East 2nd Street.