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National Trust selects Arkansas Delta as pilot region for development initiative
The National Trust for Historic Preservation recently announced that the Arkansas Delta have been selected as one of two rural pilot regions to participate in the Rural Heritage Development Initiative, a new National Trust program that will implement preservation-based economic development strategies.
The new initiative is funded in significant part through a $745,000 three-year grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. The Arkansas Delta was selected from 11 regions across the country that applied to participate in the program, which will enable state and local partners to work collaboratively to develop cultural and heritage assets for economic benefit.
The Arkansas Delta is a 15-county strip along the Mississippi River characterized by an agriculture heritage in decline, working to transition to new crops; and an indigenous music culture, including blues, gospel, and country.
"We hope the work of the Arkansas Delta . . . through the Rural Heritage Development Initiative will inspire rural regions across the nation to consider new and innovative strategies for revitalization through preservation," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The Rural Heritage Development Initiative will address the issues facing rural regions today - from development pressures to the loss of their traditional agricultural base - and bring together various multi-disciplinary services of the National Trust for intensive work with partners in the pilot regions during a three-year period.
Through preservation-based strategies including heritage tourism, local entrepreneurial and business development, barn preservation, rural land-use planning, and neighborhood housing revitalization, the program will utilize local assets to achieve economic gains in the pilot regions.
Major partners on the project include Main Street Arkansas, the Department of Arkansas Heritage, the Arkansas Delta Byways at Arkansas State University and the Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas.
The National Trust has a long history of working on rural preservation and revitalization issues through its nationally-recognized National Trust Main Street Center; which originally focused on small towns; its heritage tourism program; the Barn Again! Program; and other public policy advocacy.
Aspen Ridge Townhomes breaks ground in Fayetteville
After two years of conceptual planning and nine months of detailed design, Town Creek Construction & Development LLC officially broke ground in Fayetteville for a $38.5 million residential development.
The Aspen Ridge Townhomes development is located near the University of Arkansas and downtown Fayetteville.
It will include 220 single-family townhomes in 39 buildings when complete. MAY Construction Co. of Little Rock is the general contractor on the project, which was designed by site planners Rick Harrison & Associates of Golden Valley, Minn., and Crafton, Tull & Associates Inc. of Rogers, Bloodgood, Sharp & Buster of Chicago, Ill., provided the architectural design.
Texarkana plans sports, civic complex
Texarkana is planning a $30 million sports and civic complex just east of State Line Avenue in Arkansas. Work could begin this fall.
The project is a $15 million sportsplex that will include multipurpose arena that will seat up to 5,500, a family fitness center that has basketball courts and a swimming pool, and a children's recreation building for after-school and summer care.
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