Seeing Green On The Blues Scene

The growing blues scene in Helena-West Helena could have some folks seeing green.

Entrepreneurs looking for matching capital investment in downtown Helena-West Helena have until March 31 to submit proposals to Southern Bancorp. The Riverside Renewal Project, announced today, is an incentive program matching investment dollars 1:1 beginning at $25,000, up to $100,000 for eligible applicants.

“Southern is on a mission to create new economic opportunities for people and businesses in rural communities, and this project underscores our commitment to finding new and innovative ways to both revitalize and help transform them into stronger, more sustainable centers of economic growth,” said Southern Bancorp, Inc. CEO Darrin Williams.

The project will be administered by Southern’s non-profit affiliate, Southern Bancorp Community Partners. The soon-to-opened Civil War Museum and established King Biscuit Blues festival are expected to be a shot in the arm for tourism dollars for the Delta town. Eligible projects include the development of commercial and/or residential property that contributes to broader revitalization efforts such as restaurants, retail, entertainment, apartments and hotels.

The Riverside Renewal Project is part of a trifecta of economic development tools being utilized by Southern in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in an effort to promote job growth and increase economic development opportunities in the Delta. Other projects include the Helena Start-Up Challenge, a business plan competition, and the Helena Jobs Incentive, which provides financial incentives to businesses that create jobs within the Helena city limits, at the Helena Harbor and in the local industrial park.

“We’re looking for individuals and businesses with an entrepreneurial spirit and the capacity to convert it to jobs and economic opportunities,” said Williams. “We believe that rural communities in the Delta and across rural America deserve the opportunity to earn their way into prosperity just like their urban counterparts.”

Southern Bancorp is a rural development bank, serving both Arkansas and Mississippi.