Jonesboro Mayor Pushes Infrastructure In Chamber Talk

The city of Jonesboro has grown exponentially in recent years, both in population and size. With that growth, the city has to prepare to meet the expansion, Mayor Harold Perrin told chamber members Friday.

Perrin gave his State of the City talk to the Jonesboro Chamber of Commerce during an event at the Cooper Alumni Center on the Arkansas State University campus.

The majority of the talk centered around infrastructure needs and goals for the future.

Perrin, who is in his second term, said the city recently built a fire station on Neely Road, helping to lower ISO ratings, as well as building a Miracle League field and moving into a new police station last year.

Perrin estimated that 125,000 people are in Jonesboro on the weekends, either living there or visiting businesses.

The growth has been taxing on city streets and roads, Perrin said.

“We are growing at three percent a year, but we are outpacing our infrastructure,” Perrin said citing a 41,000 daily vehicle count at the corner of Stallings Lane and Red Wolf Boulevard alone.

The city is working on several projects that may help with the infrastructure issue.

Among them are a $16 million project to build a railroad overpass at the corner of Nettleton Avenue and Highland Drive; a plan to widen Caraway Road to five lanes from south of the overpass to LaTourette Street; extending Parker Road west near U.S. 63 and putting in a roundabout at the corner of Airport and Aggie Roads.

The city received a $1.5 million federal grant last year to do an environmental study on the railroad overpass issue. Perrin said he plans to meet with engineers next week to start the planning process for the project.

At least $2 million has been set aside for the Parker Road project, while the Caraway Road and roundabout projects are working through the bidding process.

A project completed this past year involved replacing a bridge on Kathleen Street, north of the Jonesboro Municipal Airport.

“The city got out of the NASCAR business last year,” Perrin said of the road with a sharp, hairpin turn.

The project was a joint venture between the city and Craighead County, Perrin said.

FUTURE
The city has also seen growth in building permits completed, Perrin said.

The city had roughly $125 million worth of permits completed last year, with the vast majority coming from homes and duplexes.

There were 330 requests for new homes, 35 requests for new multi-family buildings and 47 commercial buildings, Perrin said.

The numbers showed possibilities for future growth, Perrin said, noting the commercial buildings totaled about $64 million.

Perrin said he would like to work on a plan to study the nearly 300 miles of ditches in the Jonesboro city limits. He said it would likely take about $100 million to do work on the ditches.

Perrin also said one of his future goals involves working with ASU officials on a plan to extend University Loop near U.S. 49 and Johnson Avenue.

Another goal involves building a $33 million bypass on Commerce Drive, east of town.

If built, the bypass would connect U.S. 63 and U.S. 49 and alleviate traffic concerns on Caraway Road and Red Wolf Boulevard, officials have said. Perrin said the goal is long term for the city.

Perrin’s talk was also shaded by the announcement that ASU has settled on a developer to work on a conference center, hotel and restaurant project.

Arkansas State University is negotiating a deal with O’Reilly Hospitality Management LLC for a land lease agreement that could eventually bring an Embassy Suites hotel, a conference center and Houlihan’s restaurant to the growing Northeast Arkansas campus, university Chancellor Tim Hudson announced Friday. Read more here.