Downtown Pine Bluff. Photo courtesy of Bruce Lockett
But the town isn’t discouraged by their current scores and is instead taking steps to improve their walkability and investment potential, particularly by leveraging existing public and private investment in the designated zones. For example, there are several projects in the works in downtown Pine Bluff’s Opportunity Zone, including a new library, an aquatic center, a streetscape initiative, and a major hotel renovation. By orienting these developments around the existing compact street grid, Pine Bluff is demonstrating their commitment to revitalizing their downtown, while avoiding sprawl.
In addition to these potentially transformative projects, the town is still looking for the next big thing to replace manufacturing jobs lost over the past decade. Councilman Lockett hopes that investment in opportunity zones can create a “lighthouse effect that will guide people to [Pine Bluff],” by creating small businesses, research facilities, and other developments that generate jobs.