PINE BLUFF, Ark. (KTHV) - Lots of new projects are in the works in Pine Bluff after they were awarded thousands of dollars to make some of them happen.
This means Pine Bluff is one step closer to giving the downtown area a makeover.
“They need to use it to fix the city and the streets, since they got it that’s a good idea,” resident Andrew Hooks said.
Hooks spends his time on the lake but is excited about downtown Pine Bluff.
“We will have freshly poured sidewalk, expanded sidewalk to allow for more pedestrian movement. We’ll also have new street trees planted as well as new lighting and benches and trash cans,” assistant director of the Economic Development Alliance Lori Walker said.
ARDOT awarded $500,000 so that Pine Bluff can complete phase 3 of the Street Scape Project.
It’s the third grant the city has received to revamp the area.
“Been working on this project since 2011 and just about to wind down on the final design and lighting portion of the project,” director Larry Matthews said.
Community leaders are also working to make pine bluff a blues hub because it’s popular with entertainers.
Project designers want to make sure the improvements highlight the city’s rich past.
“We’d like to eventually embed into the sidewalk infrastructure some plaques that talk about this history,” Walker said.
Downtown property owner Will Jenkins said it’s a step in the right direction.
“Going to be the type of downtown area that we’ve always envisioned,” Jenkins said.
He already has plans for what’s to come.
“We’re going to have two microbreweries over on Barraque Street. My wife and I are going to build a steakhouse called 301 Barraque and it’s just going to do great things for the city as well as the look of the downtown area,” Jenkins said.