When Go Forward Pine Bluff began the monumental task of putting into motion the Delta city’s infrastructure and economic rebirth a few years ago, CEO Dr. Ryan Watley had to rely on the public’s imagination and trust the vision of a new Pine Bluff. But even he knew how critical tangible progress was to fuel that optimism and sustain momentum.
That moment has arrived, and on the strength of several high-profile milestones, the plan is paying off.
“The phones are ringing often,” Watley said. “We’re going through several processes whereby we’re recruiting investment to the area. It’s very difficult given that we are in the middle of a pandemic, but we also have to look past this current season to when the new normal will be established and business will take place in the new environment.”
Go Forward Pine Bluff, along with other community stakeholders, from the chamber of commerce to City Hall, have more tools in their economic development toolbox than the city has had in decades. Last summer, the city christened a $12 million indoor aquatics center, the first public pool in Pine Bluff in 40 years. Also downtown the gleaming showpiece of the Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Library System is rapidly nearing completion. Officials estimate the $10.5 million, 35,000-square-foot complex at about 90 percent done.
Watley said the two projects represent solid cornerstones in the city’s core and are as important to Pine Bluff’s overall economic future as new businesses, particularly for their effect on stemming population loss.
“What you see is built on retention; individuals who see and use the developments will have a second thought about leaving the area,” he said. “We’re trying to sustain and retain the population that we have through amenities and an awesome education system. We’re working on that to improve the landscape whereby individuals will know that ‘If I stay here, my children and family will have a great place to make an income and my kids will have an opportunity to get a great future through the education system.’
“Those are things that will eventually attract people to the area, but these new developments are currently working in retaining the city that we have today.”
Arguably the most telling sign of progress downtown is also its most subtle: Phase I of $2.8 million in streetscape improvement that has advanced full speed ahead since March. The improvements revitalized the appearance and usability of several contiguous blocks of Main Street with new sidewalks, landscaping and other enhancements, including new water lines.
Even though Phase I is expected to take several more months, the progress thus far stands in stark contrast to the not-long-ago era when the district had become so dilapidated the city blocked off sections of its main downtown artery for fear of several buildings’ imminent collapse.
Today, Watley and other Pine Bluff promoters are singing a much different tune.
“Overall, there’s approximately $40 million worth of investment that has occurred in downtown Pine Bluff over the past three years,” he said. “We’re removing a lot of blight from the area, averaging about two houses per week to a hundred over a year. So, the plan is working.
“We have a master plan and vision that identifies areas in downtown such as the municipal district, the library and arts court, the entertainment district and historic district. In terms of specific business, we want to let the private sector dictate where their business best thrives. But we will put out requests for qualification with the urban renewal agency and requests for proposals to see how we can make that a private area. We’re actually in the process of doing that.”
Of course, all streets in Pine Bluff, including Main Street, lead to the behemoth Saracen Casino Resort. More than 1,000 jobs — construction workers and full-time Saracen employees at its casino annex and convenience store that opened last fall — have already been created by the $350 million project. The annex also gives a glimpse of the potential windfall the city expects to reap in tax revenue once the main component is finished. At a February topping out ceremony, Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington told reporters the annex was generating $100,000 per month in tax revenues from gaming taxes and money visitors spend on food, lodging and gas. Of this, just under 20 percent stays with the city.
Considering the annex, at 15,000 square feet of gaming space and 300 machines, is a fraction of the main gaming floor’s forthcoming 80,000 square feet, 2,000 machines and dozens of gaming tables, it’s not hard to imagine the substantial economic impact that lies on the horizon. Saracen Casino Resort officials estimated in May that the main complex will be open this fall, later than originally planned due to delays related to COVID-19.
All of which culminates into unbridled optimism for Watley, even as Go Forward Pine Bluff faces the new challenge of capitalizing on the recent wins.
“The plan is working and all of our plan is working systematically. They’re overlapping each other, which is what we hope will work,” he said. The plan is to have new projects overlap. “We have to populate those buildings along Main Street. That’s the major hurdle, that we can transform an empty storefront into a thriving business through public and private investment,” Watley said.
“We have to begin to pivot from public to private in order to take us across the finish line. We want to be ready to pull the trigger when the economy is ready to accept those investments. We have been really working to bring more private attention to this public investment and see how we can leverage that for development.
“We’ve made demonstrable progress, but we have a ways to go in terms of transforming empty storefronts into thriving businesses. That’s when you’ll see the full transition.”
