At least 100 people filed into the Still Ballroom at the Robinson Center Monday evening for a public forum on Little Rock’s downtown master plan.
Attendees heard from a company aiming to improve the heartbeat of the city, and got the chance to vote on the priorities they hope to see reflected in a new downtown master plan expected to be unveiled in 2024.
The City of Little Rock contracted with Sasaki Associates over the summer to guide this project.
Monday’s event was the second opportunity for community members to weigh in.
Participants all got paper cups with 10 “little rocks” on their way in, and used the rocks to vote for the values that mattered most to them on a board game-style layout.
Participants chose from options like “incentivize the construction of a new ‘daily needs retail’ such as a grocery store and a pharmacy” and “extend the streetcar down Main Street to connect downtown to SoMa and surrounding neighborhoods.”
Brian ChilsonJosh Brooks and Daniel Church with Sasaki shared the company’s planning process so far. They’ve heard from citizens that there’s a wish to reconnect downtown neighborhoods with reimagined public transportation, create a more accessible riverfront with open space and recreation, and use Little Rock’s cultural sites as a way to attract visitors.
A downtown master plan draft is expected by June 2024, and community engagement will be folded into the entirety of the process.
“This is not just one sort of meeting and then we go and do our jobs,” Brooks said. “We want to listen to you through every step of the process.”
Brian ChilsonTentative proposals for improving recreation include an amphitheater-like setup on the Arkansas River bank and connecting key Little Rock sights — like the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, State Capitol, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center and Old Statehouse Museum — with a trail system. Old railroad tracks could also be converted into trails, Brooks said.
Other ideas included highlighting neighborhood character and building strong identities. Signage could be an easy way to establish this, as well as adding “neighborhood nodes” that build off key assets in the areas. These nodes would be like mini main streets in each neighborhood, Brooks said. He suggested that loosening zoning restrictions would allow for a greater variety of businesses in the area and infill housing to bring more residents downtown.
As for connectivity, Church mentioned a possible restructuring of public transportation. The downtown streetcar lacks riders, and it doesn’t take anyone to the well-loved SoMa area. And new bus routes might be needed to better meet the needs of people reliant on public transport. Church said adding a health line to take people to key hospital and government buildings might make sense.
Brian ChilsonInterstate 630 plowed through downtown neighborhoods, cutting off the north from the south and changing how people get around. Rethinking how bridges over the highway could carry walkers or cyclists would improve connectivity, Church said. Overall improvements to public transportation and connected trail systems would also cut down on the need for so much parking lot space in downtown Little Rock.
No ideas are set yet. Part of the presentation on Monday included real-time polling of the attendees to help planners further refine the city’s priority list. Church asked everyone to take out their cell phones and answer a few questions about what values they thought aligned best with the given strategy options.
Mary HenniganIdeas centered on the Arkansas River prompted about a third of participants to select the value “dynamic and connected.” Nearly half of the participants also chose that value when it came to reconnecting neighborhoods. For Little Rock’s cultural sites, 68% of participants felt the value “authentic and diverse” matched the best, and about half chose “livable and people-focused” for improving neighborhood identities.
This polling, the open-house style voting method with the little rocks, and the results of an online survey are all expected to shape the downtown master plan. The survey will run through Dec. 31.
