LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Business owners and developers in Little Rock’s South Main Street neighborhood are so proud of all the growth, they are throwing parties to celebrate.
"It's interesting to me. I moved back home about three years ago and it did not look like this,” Annabelle Rector said.
Rector is the owner of Reinvented Vintage — one of the many new businesses to take over SoMa in downtown Little Rock.
"I always knew I wanted to move down here, and since I moved since last year it just exploded,” she said.
She said since last summer, at least eight businesses have moved into the storefronts on Main Street. She said the district used to be mostly empty.
"When I was in high school, "The only thing around was community bakery," she said. “I just had no clue what SoMa was. It's really cool to see the revitalization of this area and its fun because everyone is so diverse."
On top of new businesses, brand new apartments will open this spring on Scott Street.
"I think it's going to be really good for the area. Anytime you get more people the vibrancy is going to increase,” Rector said.
Anderson Penix with the downtown Little Rock Partnership said these apartments mark the first new development SoMa has seen in a while. And they have strated a trend, a few blocks down ground broke on another new apartment complex as well.
"I think you can just walk down the street and just see the change, it almost seems like there's more bold colors, more art. Seems like people are walking around a lot more and I think that is a testament to the business owners down here but there's a lot of community activists, too,” Penix said.
Rector says all the new development is promising, as more people start to recognize the hidden treasures of SoMa.
"It helps us get the word out that SoMa is a safe place because I think that is one of the concerns people have coming down here because it is downtown, but it is safe and family friendly,” she said
Friday marked the first SoMa After Dark party. Rector said these will take place on the first Friday of every month, and businesses will stay open late. For more information, click here.