83 replies to this topic

[LRguy21]

With all the focus on "New Downtown", what are the, if any, plans for Main Street. Once a bustling shopping area, now is completely DEAD!!! I know there’s a thread floating around about Mr. Stephens’s plans, but what about the city?

[bchris02]

LRguy21, on Jan 16 2008, 08:58 PM, said:

With all the focus on "New Downtown", what are the, if any, plans for Main Street. Once a bustling shopping area, now is completely DEAD!!! I know there’s a thread floating around about Mr. Stephens’s plans, but what about the city?

Yeah, I was noticing how sad of shape that area was in when I was down there the other day.  A stark contrast to most of downtown.  It would be nice if it would be revitalized.

[Architect]

LRguy21, on Jan 16 2008, 08:58 PM, said:

With all the focus on "New Downtown", what are the, if any, plans for Main Street. Once a bustling shopping area, now is completely DEAD!!! I know there’s a thread floating around about Mr. Stephens’s plans, but what about the city?

I think this will come in time.  Not everything can happen at once, and the success of the whole Rivermarket District to the NE will only reinvigorate people's confidence in a vibrant, urban environment.  Once Stephen's gets rolling, this will also be a very important catalyst.  Better to be calculated, deliberate and successful than ill-conceived, rushed and unsuccessful.

In concert with this, I concur with some other statements about Lafayette Square.  I'm familiar with that development, and it has definitely not been as successful as hoped - primarily due to lack of secure parking and extremely high monthly maintenance fees.  Maybe not such a big deal if you're the only game in town, but when your competition isn't burdened by either of these issues - well, that's problematic.

[LRguy21]

I hope Lafayette isnt a flop! that would really put a drag on the area.

[North Pulaski Player]

It's amazing that after the huge success of the Rivermarket District, that there hasn't been a push for development along Main Street. A mistake would be to try to make Main Street like the Rivermarket District... I think that Main Street projects should focus more on family-oriented businesses which would cover that niche and bring that completely different audience downtown for entertainment. The Rivermarket pretty much focuses on nightlife and tend to draw people wanting have good adult fun. Main Street could have a nice movie theater and family-oriented restaurants and retail which would cater to families. Both of these downtown areas should grow together to ensure that there will be mixed foottraffic between both the Rivermarket District and Main Street. Just my opinion... I think a lot.

[skirby]

North Pulaski Player, on Jan 17 2008, 09:17 AM, said:

It's amazing that after the huge success of the Rivermarket District, that there hasn't been a push for development along Main Street. A mistake would be to try to make Main Street like the Rivermarket District... I think that Main Street projects should focus more on family-oriented businesses which would cover that niche and bring that completely different audience downtown for entertainment. The Rivermarket pretty much focuses on nightlife and tend to draw people wanting have good adult fun. Main Street could have a nice movie theater and family-oriented restaurants and retail which would cater to families. Both of these downtown areas should grow together to ensure that there will be mixed foottraffic between both the Rivermarket District and Main Street. Just my opinion... I think a lot.

I don't see that a movie theater would work, at this time, in downtown. The one in the Peabody Place in Memphis is getting ready to shut its doors. Nor do I think family-oriented business is the way to go. I just don't see families loading up their SUVs and heading downtown from west LR for a night of fun and shopping.
What needs to happen is a project that will produce a "Bilbao  effect." Something needs to happen that will get Mr. Stephens excited enough to start developing his holdings.

[Aporkalypse]

North Pulaski Player, on Jan 17 2008, 09:17 AM, said:

It's amazing that after the huge success of the Rivermarket District, that there hasn't been a push for development along Main Street. A mistake would be to try to make Main Street like the Rivermarket District... I think that Main Street projects should focus more on family-oriented businesses which would cover that niche and bring that completely different audience downtown for entertainment. The Rivermarket pretty much focuses on nightlife and tend to draw people wanting have good adult fun. Main Street could have a nice movie theater and family-oriented restaurants and retail which would cater to families. Both of these downtown areas should grow together to ensure that there will be mixed foottraffic between both the Rivermarket District and Main Street. Just my opinion... I think a lot.

I'd like Main to develop into the area where the art galleries, antique stores, and upscale boutiques are found.  Parking is more available there than on Clinton.  The problem is people are so afraid of moving retail downtown because of previous failures.  To make it work I think the city would have to put a major investment into the streetscape to help it happen and coordinate redevelopment with Stephens.

I think a theater downtown would work if it were along the lines of the Alamo Drafthouse, a place where you could watch a film and drink alcohol.  I could see that being profitable and novel enough to be a draw.

[abdintp]

skirby, on Jan 17 2008, 06:25 PM, said:

I don't see that a movie theater would work, at this time, in downtown. The one in the Peabody Place in Memphis is getting ready to shut its doors. Nor do I think family-oriented business is the way to go. I just don't see families loading up their SUVs and heading downtown from west LR for a night of fun and shopping.
What needs to happen is a project that will produce a "Bilbao  effect." Something needs to happen that will get Mr. Stephens excited enough to start developing his holdings.

People definitely aren't loading up in their SUVs and going downtown, and I hope that will stay the same, because lord knows they're already wasting enough gas.
I think that if Market Street, or some new art theater, moved downtown it would be a perfect match.  Generally speaking I'd say much of the population that attends Market Street lives in QQ, Hillcrest, Heights, etc., not in Chenal.
I would go to movies there all the time if it wasn't a freaking 20 minute drive into WFLR.  Now, I hardly make it out there once a year (admittedly I only live here for half the year), but if it was in the old Center (re?) theater, a bus ride away, it'd be my second home.

However, I don't think the theater would survive until Main St was considerably built up (diner, diner, diner!).  
P.S. I also think family-oriented is a bad call.

[theman]

If the Rep would have gotten the grant to build a new theater, that could have stimulated development along Main St.  Stephens probably would have jumped in and developed some of his poperties.

[Architect]

theman, on Jan 17 2008, 11:21 PM, said:

If the Rep would have gotten the grant to build a new theater, that could have stimulated development along Main St.  Stephens probably would have jumped in and developed some of his poperties.

Want to know what was sad about that whole deal?  Reynolds had basically given them the grant, but one clear stipulation was to not publicly promote that they were finalists.  They failed to be discreet.  The grant was not awarded.  End of story.  End of deal.

[theman]

Architect, on Jan 17 2008, 11:28 PM, said:

Want to know what was sad about that whole deal?  Reynolds had basically given them the grant, but one clear stipulation was to not publicly promote that they were finalists.  They failed to be discreet.  The grant was not awarded.  End of story.  End of deal.

That is sad.  I bet they will be quiet from now on when applying for any grant.  Now they may be stuck at the current site for a while.  That could have been the stimulus to start Main St. going.

[tangle]

Architect, on Jan 18 2008, 12:28 AM, said:

Want to know what was sad about that whole deal?  Reynolds had basically given them the grant, but one clear stipulation was to not publicly promote that they were finalists.  They failed to be discreet.  The grant was not awarded.  End of story.  End of deal.

That explains why I heard that they were refurbishing and not rebuilding. Love the Rep and annoyed by the Rep, all at once.

[skirby]

There was an article in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette on Saturday about a proposed 117,000 sq. ft. building to be built on the west side of Main between 4th and Capital. There are talks between the state and Stephens to provide space for state offices. Let's hope if this goes through there is more thought put into the building than the last one built on Main for state offices. It would have been nice if there would have been some retail available on the ground floor instead of a block long wall of office windows. It would also be nice if this building is constructed to provide for future expansion(height) to accommodate  living units. Downtown Little Rock needs mixed use buildings. There are too many office only buildings  in the downtown area now.  It would be easy walking distance from this site to the office buildings west on Capital.

[adman0468]

skirby, on Feb 8 2009, 01:44 AM, said:

There was an article in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette on Saturday about a proposed 117,000 sq. ft. building to be built on the west side of Main between 4th and Capital. There are talks between the state and Stephens to provide space for state offices. Let's hope if this goes through there is more thought put into the building than the last one built on Main for state offices. It would have been nice if there would have been some retail available on the ground floor instead of a block long wall of office windows. It would also be nice if this building is constructed to provide for future expansion(height) to accommodate  living units. Downtown Little Rock needs mixed use buildings. There are too many office only buildings  in the downtown area now.  It would be easy walking distance from this site to the office buildings west on Capital.

According to the Arkansas Blog, the permit has been filed for demolition of the buildings on the west side of the street. Not sure how I feel about this, while I like the idea of preserving what's there, I think that bringing in some new offices and breathing, spending bodies into this area is important, too. Will be interesting to see what the public outcry over the buildings is.

[skirby]

skirby, on Feb 8 2009, 12:44 AM, said:

There was an article in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette on Saturday about a proposed 117,000 sq. ft. building to be built on the west side of Main between 4th and Capital. There are talks between the state and Stephens to provide space for state offices. Let's hope if this goes through there is more thought put into the building than the last one built on Main for state offices. It would have been nice if there would have been some retail available on the ground floor instead of a block long wall of office windows. It would also be nice if this building is constructed to provide for future expansion(height) to accommodate  living units. Downtown Little Rock needs mixed use buildings. There are too many office only buildings  in the downtown area now.  It would be easy walking distance from this site to the office buildings west on Capital.

Demolition permits have been issued for the four buildings on the west side of the block between 4th and Capital. But problems have come up. The Historic Preservation Alliance  is opposing the demolition. Stephens opposed the Aloft hotel in the River market because of "historic' concerns and now he is being opposed for trying to destroy the "historic" nature of Main Street. I wonder how far along are the redevelopment plans or is there just going to be another parking lot on Main?

[Hillcrest_LR]

I just saw what is underneath the terrible 50's facade of the Kempner shoe store in the 400 block of Main St. that is to be torn down. It is on the Arkansas Times blog  and if any of it is left under that facade it will be a shame if it is torn down.

[skirby]

The 400 block of Main. These are the buildings to be demolished.

[adman0468]

Personally, I'm not worried about losing the buildings as much as losing the feel of Main Street. Could the new building keep that feel, but as a new building? Maybe a first floor that feels more like the First Security building as opposed to the Stephens building?

[Architect]

adman0468, on Feb 12 2009, 04:38 PM, said:

Personally, I'm not worried about losing the buildings as much as losing the feel of Main Street. Could the new building keep that feel, but as a new building? Maybe a first floor that feels more like the First Security building as opposed to the Stephens building?

It's kinda hard to stand in the way of progress assuming that what will be built will be both appropriate and of high quality.  However, what you CANNOT see from these photographs are the REAL facades of these buildings...what's there now is cladding added later to add some "modernness" in the 50's or 60's, hiding the beautiful architecture beneath.

Having said all of that, I've been told these buildings are in terrible condition, and are in no shape to be renovated or reused as a modern public building.  Perhaps if they hadn't been abandoned for so long...

[hogwash]

As long as something goes in that will create pedestrian activity I'd be fine it. Not that my opinion counts for anything. But, we've already torn down many more valuable historic structures, what makes these any more important?