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HARRISON, Arkansas (KY3) – The Harrison City Council introduced a proposal for an entertainment district at its meeting on Thursday.
The council originally floated the idea in 2020. The council rejected the proposal by one vote. Many expressed support for revisiting the idea as City Hall pulled out of the city center during the year and took similar action in county court.
“As one of the businesses here, we’re afraid of what it will do to traffic here,” Maggie Larock told KY3. LaRoch said the plaza’s appeal to the town was a focal point for her family when they moved to the area.
“We all want to see the downtown rejuvenated,” said Heath Kirkpatrick, a local pastor at Woodland Heights Baptist Church. “As a local pastor, I always say alcohol isn’t a sin per se, but it’s always overindulgence or drunkenness.”
Locals and downtown business owners want to see something to attract traffic to the area. The city is about to begin construction on the Creekside Community Center near the city center.
The idea of an entertainment district has been seen in adjacent communities such as Mountain Home and Springdale. Exploring Harrison’s Matt Bell said the data from the Mountain Home district is informative in plans being developed by the Harrison City Tourism Board.
“The entertainment district proposal, what it will do is designate a pedestrian zone in our city centre that is conducive to a social atmosphere,” Bell said. “Visitors can walk into the restaurant, have an adult drink, and walk around the area freely.”
Exploring Harrison said the proposal outlines specific rules, such as the types of alcohol allowed, the containers that need to be put in, and where alcohol can be consumed.
“The idea of encouraging people to move around, to get in and out of the store, I think it just brings more attention to public safety and other issues that police have to deal with,” Kirkpatrick said.
Bell said the idea has been successful elsewhere, with participating businesses helping the entertainment district. He told KY3 on Thursday that as many as three potential businesses selling alcohol have agreed to the proposal and intend to open stores near Harrison Square.
“The Mountain House just completed a big event in their entertainment area; no problem when it comes to anything like crime, intoxication and disorderly behavior,” Bell said. “It’s a very well attended event, a very family-friendly event, and that’s what the entertainment district will bring.”
But the problem remains.
“Open containers will attract people to the city centre, which is a concern I have, but it won’t,” Kirkpatrick said. “We all want to see the city centre rejuvenated, especially with recent departures, but there are other options to visit.”
Observations show that the majority of businesses in the downtown area are in favor of the proposal, looking to increase traffic in the area.
“In addition to entertainment districts, we need to explore options that will bring jobs and economic growth to the downtown core,” said downtown business owner Robert Young. “I think most locals would like to see the area continue to thrive.
The entertainment district proposal will have its first reading at Thursday’s city council meeting. If approved, it will not be formally adopted until two months from now.
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