VILONIA, Ark. (KTHV) - Tornadoes swept through Vilonia first in 2011 and then again in 2014, taking lives, homes, and businesses. Since then, the town has been working to rebuild itself. Wednesday, Sept. 26, a major step taken to bring the town back to life with new developments.
A local preacher is developing a shopping center as part of their effort to strengthen and rebuild the city.
"It was a really helpless feeling, it took aim at our community, did a lot of damage, a lot of lives were lost," said Todd Beene.
Beene and his wife, Lacosta, are now planning to open a 12,000 square foot shopping center called ‘Eagle’s Nest,’ after the Bible verse Isaiah 40:31. They broke ground on the center Wednesday.
“I’m always amazed how God puts a dream in your heart and through prayer and obedience and planning he'll complete that in you," said Beene.
The center will have two restaurants including Simple Simon’s Pizza, a tanning salon, nail salon, nutrition shop and several retail stores.
"We got hit pretty hard, you know a lot of our downtown businesses were destroyed so were tickled to death to see this come back. It’s going to give people places to go," said Mayor James Firestone with the City of Vilonia.
The development will be on Main Street where a house used to sit that was wiped out in the 2014 tornadoes. Beene expects the center to open in six to eight months.