Repairs around former Citizens Bank building should be complete by mid-May

Construction progress is beginning in the vicinity of the former Citizens Bank in downtown Jonesboro. If the weather holds, work in the area should be complete by mid-May and normal road and pedestrian traffic should resume, according to the city.

Sidewalk work is slated to begin this week, and site stabilization consisting of sod and seeding to establish grass cover has started. An asphalt overlay project will begin next week along with the reinstallation of a traffic signal.

Road and pedestrian traffic near the demolition site of the building has been obstructed for months. The demolition caused damage to surrounding infrastructure that is being repaired now.

About $3.25 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds were used to remove the building.

It was once the tallest building in the city and a revered meeting hub for politicians, civic and business leaders.

The 70-year-old building has been an eyesore for the downtown area for many years, however, and its owners have been in litigation over what to do with the building. Projects have been proposed through the years, but none came to fruition.

The Jonesboro City Council unanimously voted to condemn the structure in December after structural engineers determined the building to be unsafe. A bulge on one side of the building prompted the inspection.