PINE BLUFF, Arkansas — According to U.S. Census data, Pine Bluff's population dropped 16% in 2021 compared to the previous two years. Local programs are hoping to reverse that by reinvesting in the once-booming area.
A $548,492 grant is going towards Pine Bluff. The Department of Transportation gave the grant. It will go to the U of A Community Design Center and Go Forward Pine Bluff as a partnership to renew downtown.
"It's very important," Go Forward Pine Bluff CEO Ryan Watley said. "It speaks to the value of Pine Bluff."
The grant will focus on a 280-block area of south to central downtown neighborhoods, specifically along Highway 63B.
The hope is to explore designs to make this low-trafficked corridor more attractive to businesses, including Jefferson Regional.
Watley said it will have community meetings for public feedback in the fall.
"We hope that we can build on this investment for other opportunities [for] grants [and] private investments from different sectors," Watley said.
Pine Bluff is one of 132 areas that received funding through this grant and the only one from Arkansas.