Jonesboro City Council Announcements Include $2 Million Expected Windfall, Strong Commercial Growth

The agenda may have been light, but the Jonesboro City Council meeting Tuesday was a meeting filled with announcements.

Officials expect a $2 million boost to the economy this week as youth baseball teams from 10 states arrive in Jonesboro for the Cal Ripken 10-year-old World Series.

Also, Mayor Harold Perrin said the city had a near record amount of building permit requests during July keyed by continued commercial growth.

Perrin said city officials have been working for months to get Joe Mack Campbell Park ready for the tournament.

Teams from around the country will start arriving in Jonesboro Thursday for the tournament.

The tournament runs through Aug. 15.

City Parks Director Wixson Huffstetler said several thousand people will attend each game. There will be four games each day, with two going on at one time.

Earlier this year, Huffstetler said the city has hosted smaller tournaments during the summer with families spending nearly $500 a day on hotel, gas and shopping.

Perrin said the city’s parks and recreation department and street department have been working in overdrive to get things done.

A 250-vehicle parking lot was built nearby while the roads leading into Joe Mack Campbell Park received an overlay, Perrin told council members Tuesday night.

BUILDING PERMITS
Perrin also spoke Tuesday night about building permits.

The city saw $24,195,355 in building permit requests during July, Perrin said, noting 88% of the permits were for commercial property.

The city has typically seen about $12 to $15 million each month in permits issued, but Perrin said he was at a loss for words as to why the increase happened.

City officials also received good news Tuesday when a Searcy company announced plans to open a clothing store in the former Coke bottling plant.

The company, Hays Clothing, plans to hire at least 100 people to work at the store with plans for a restaurant to be built in the area.

OTHER ACTION
Council members heard from Kristi Pulliam, executive director of the Foundation of Arts in Jonesboro.

Pulliam said the group works with community theatre, arts and outreach programs in and around Jonesboro.

Pulliam said while the group’s main focus is helping to spread the arts, she said the programs have brought people to downtown Jonesboro.

She cited a study done by the group that 12,500 patrons have spent, on average, $24 a trip to the Forum. Also, the 12,500 people have made nearly 50,000 trips to downtown Jonesboro.

The Neil Simon play, “Rumors”, will be performed at the Forum starting Sept. 11, Pulliam said.

Council members approved the first reading of an ordinance abandoning and vacating a portion of Madison Street as a right of way.

A CVS pharmacy is scheduled to be built in the area, officials said Tuesday.

Council member John Street requested a traffic count for the area as well as the cost of building a new street in the area, which is close to Southwest Drive and the Arkansas revenue office.

Council members also thanked Finance Director Ben Barylske for his work with the city.

Barylske, who worked with the Division of Legislative Audit before taking the job in Jonesboro, resigned Friday to become the chief financial officer for NEA Baptist Clinic.

Barylske, whose last day with the city is Aug. 13, said he appreciated the council’s words.

“I want to thank you for the opportunity over the years. It’s been a blessing,” Barylske said.

Perrin said the city will begin advertising for the position Wednesday.