Downtown projects across the state recognized by Main Street Arkansas Awards

BusinessTourism / Heritage

by Talk Business & Politics staff ([email protected]) January 18, 2018 4:21 pm 1,014 views 

Programs in 11 counties have been honored with Main Street Arkansas and Arkansas Downtown Network awards, recognizing outstanding work in downtown revitalization, the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program announced Thursday (Jan. 18). Main Street Arkansas is a division within the program.

The Main Street Arkansas and Arkansas Downtown Network awards are presented biannually, and the Main Street Arkansas Advisory Board selects the awardees, according to the AHPP.

A list of Main Street Arkansas Awards honorees follows.

  • MOR Media and Main Street Paragould (Best Public-Private Partnership Award).
  • Inside Out Facebook Live Show and Main Street Eureka Springs (Outstanding Marketing Effort Award).
  • Main Street History Awards and Main Street Helena (Outstanding Community Education Campaign Award).
  • The Crossing, Paragould (Best Façade Renovation Award).
  • Rialto Theater, Searcy (Best Façade Restoration Award).
  • The Root Café, SoMa in Little Rock (Best Adaptive Re-Use/Infill Project Award).
  • Searcy Downtown Beautification Project and Main Street Searcy (Best Downtown Public Improvement Award).
  • Main Street Helena’s Historic Window Advertisements (Best Visual Merchandising Project Award).
  • Downtown Little Rock Partnership’s Barkus on Main Street (Best New Special Event Award).
  • Main Street Eureka Springs’ EurekaSpringsDowntown.com (Best Downtown Marketing Campaign Award).
  • Woof & Wander in downtown Rogers (Best Image/Branding Campaign Award).
  • Main Street Helena’s Helena Steamboats Project (Best Downtown Heritage Tourism Project Award).
  • Trail of Tears Memorial in downtown Ozark (Best Downtown Cultural Project Award).
  • Dog Ear Books in downtown Russellville (Best Downtown Retail Award).
  • Chow at 118 in downtown Paragould (Best New Downtown Restaurant Award).
  • Ozark Beer Company in downtown Rogers (Best Economic Impact Project Award).
  • Melissa Turpin and Dana Smith of Honeycomb Kitchen Shop in downtown Rogers (Outstanding Main Street Merchant Award).
  • Old Bank Sports Bar and Grill in downtown Russellville (Best Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Project Award).
  • Dee Bright of Main Street Eureka Springs (Main Street Hero Award).
  • Gina Jarrett of Main Street Paragould (Executive Director Award).

A list of Arkansas Downtown Network Awards honorees follows.

  • 64:6 Downtown Fort Smith for the Propelling Downtown Forward plan (Best Downtown Improvement Project Award).
  • Pine Bluff Downtown Development for Pop Up in the Bluff (Best Downtown Promotion Award).
  • Main Street Morrilton for Munchin’ on Main Street (Best Downtown Event Award).

Main Street Arkansas provides technical assistance and design services to help create economic development in downtown neighborhoods throughout the state, focusing on design, economic restructuring, organization and promotion, according to AHPP.

Cities and downtown organizations now involved in Main Street Arkansas program are Batesville, Blytheville, Conway, Dumas, El Dorado, Eureka Springs, Helena-West Helena, Jonesboro, Downtown Little Rock Partnership, Little Rock’s South Main Street (SoMa), Osceola, Ozark, Paragould, Rogers, Russellville, Searcy, Siloam Springs, Texarkana and West Memphis.

Members of Main Street Arkansas’ Downtown Network are Hardy, Pine Bluff, Heber Springs, Fort Smith, Morrilton, Rector, Monticello, Arkadelphia, Clarksville, Warren, Wynne, Forrest City, Malvern, Pocahontas, Newport and Paris.

Sponsors of the Main Street Arkansas programs include Preserve Arkansas and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, according to AHPP.