The Arkansas Economic Development Institute (AEDI) at UA Little Rock has received $10,000 from the Simmons First Foundation to assist the City of Pine Bluff’s “Go Forward Pine Bluff” initiative. This initiative, led by Simmons First Foundation, aims to implement a blueprint to address the systemic problems and challenges in the city. The blueprint emphasizes four major areas: economic development, education, government and infrastructure, and quality of life.
Pine Bluff has experienced numerous challenges, such as a population drop, high unemployment rates, and deterioration of residential and commercial buildings. Because of these challenges, the Go Forward Pine Bluff campaign will develop an extensive plan to increase and maintain financial stability.
AEDI will develop and prepare a community economic development profile for Pine Bluff that will aim toward the city’s best future economic development opportunities. They will also develop and facilitate town hall meetings to facilitate feedback from citizens in the city. AEDI will be working the University of Arkansas College of Architecture’s Community Design Center to develop a master plan for downtown Pine Bluff and bordering neighborhoods. It will include baseline drawings of existing conditions, master street and landscape plans, downtown development plans, and the final report along with visualizations.
Jim Youngquist
Executive Director of AEDI
