PULASKI COUNTY, Ark. — Pulaski County leaders put on their hard hats on Tuesday, to break ground on the state's first-of-its-kind village to house the homeless.
County Judge Barry Hyde also gave updates on other projects in his State of the County address.
Pulaski County is now one step closer to housing 400 people in need of a place to call home.
"We've designed these beautiful, tiny homes, and they're perfect. So they're around 280 square feet with a little bit of leeway either way. We have a few different designs. And so they'll be on the property and beautiful," said Errin Stanger, Providence Park CEO.
Stanger, along with Judge Barry Hyde and other local officials officially broke ground for the facility on Tuesday, however, that's not the only project in the works.
They will also be starting construction on the long-awaited Southwest trail.
"The grand adventure for those who are really daring is the nearly 60-mile span that will traverse from the heart of downtown Little Rock across Saline County's landscapes and land you right and bathhouse row in Hot Springs," Judge Hyde said.
They're building Providence Park adjacent to the trail.
"It will allow residents easy access to the trail and provide them the opportunity to commute to work and local shops safely," he said.
Both projects have support from fellow city leaders and judges from outside counties.
"Saline County is blessed to be contiguous to Pulaski County, a county that has great leadership and a heart for partnership. But also one that I can just call up and ask questions," said Saline County Judge Matt Brumlee.
"What you see is this great connection of county and city government working together," said Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr.
Judge Hyde compares the Southwest trail's significance to the Big Dam Bridge, Statehouse Convention Center, and Simmons Bank Arena.
"This is going to bring a lot of people. You may not have 20,000 people here in one day like the arena might, but you'll have 20,000 people here in a couple of weeks," he added. "To finally break ground, it's just awesome."
Judge Hyde said the first segment of the trail is estimated to be finished next March and he expects the village's first 20 homes and common building to be completed by next April.