Jonesboro mayor says ‘consistency’ key to city growth

If the city of Jonesboro were a book filled with different chapters, each one would have one thing in common – consistency, Mayor Harold Copenahver said during his State of the City address Wednesday (March 6). Copenhaver spoke to a crowd of several hundred at the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

“We are growing. We are thriving,” the mayor said. “It’s actually even better than that.”

The mayor noted that the city’s population has grown at a steady rate and is now pushing 80,000, and it has about 600 employees. Property values throughout the city continue to rise and sales tax collections continue to surge year after year.

One area of emphasis now and into the future will be the development of Jonesboro’s tourism sector.

Last month, the Governor’s Conference on Tourism was held in Northeast Arkansas’ hub city. At least 500 people attended the conference, and Copenhaver said many had never been to this part of the state.

For years, developers wanted to build a convention center in the city, but several efforts failed. Embassy Suites was able to open the Red Wolf Convention Center several years ago and it served as an ideal venue for the conference, he said.

Jonesboro has traditionally served as a regional healthcare, education, and shopping hub, but more and more people are coming to do things downtown and many visit the city’s myriad of parks including Craighead Forest Park. The pedestrian and bike trails are being expanded at the park.

Perhaps the biggest tourist draw in the works is the construction of the Jonesboro Sportsplex. The $77.2 million project is in the final planning stages and work will begin soon, Copenhaver said.

The main structure will have 12 basketball courts (24 volleyball and 36 pickleball), a 50-meter pool, a competition diving pool, and a warm-up pool. It will be able to seat 1,245 spectators.

That cost does not reflect a secondary paved parking lot, an outdoor splash pad, and an indoor walking track. It is estimated that adding the splash pad would cost $2.5 million. The indoor walking track would cost $900,000. A secondary parking lot would cost $325,000.

A timeline for completing the project has not been released, but Copenhaver said tournaments held there will lure thousands to the city and it will become a major economic engine.

“We are down to the final details on this fabulous facility,” he said.

Another place that has experienced improvements in recent years and will have a new terminal built soon is the Jonesboro Municipal Airport. It was destroyed when a massive tornado tore through the city in March of 2020.

The city recently received a $5 million grant to rebuild the terminal. In recent years, the airport received another $15 million in total grant funding to lengthen and improve its runways.

The mayor noted that there are about $100 million worth of road and highway projects either underway or will be soon. City officials are trying to get funding for another $100 million worth of road and highway projects in the future, he added.

Public safety is a concern in many communities and the city is taking steps to keep people safe. One way is the removal of blighted structures and properties. During the last 18 months, the city has removed 170 uninhabitable homes, he said.

A survey was conducted, and a top issue citizens wanted improved was lighting. Those surveyed wanted better lights downtown, better lights in neighborhoods and other public places. Copenhaver said city officials are working with City Water and Light to find solutions.

Jonesboro is unique in that it isn’t reliant on any particular job sector for growth, he said. The jobs base is fueled by a mix of agriculture, food processing, logistics, retail, government, healthcare and other sectors. If one declines, it won’t lead to a collapse like the one that happened in the Rust Belt states years ago when manufacturing evaporated.

“Diversity of jobs … that has led to economic growth,” he said.