Pine Bluff partners with out-of-state company to form economic development plan
PINE BLUFF, Ark.- The City of Pine Bluff has partnered with an economic development consulting firm with the hopes of enhancing the city’s retail & restaurant landscape as well as revitalizing the local economy.
This collaboration with Retail Strategies, initiated through the Department of Economic & Community Development, looks to boost local economic growth and enhance residents’ quality of life.
“You know, we’re very excited about the partnership with Retail Strategy,” Pine Bluff Director of Economic & Community Development Lori Guelache said.
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Clay Craft, vice president of client services at Retail Strategies, highlighted the focus on reactivating and reimagining the Pines Mall, utilizing its potential for revitalization and attracting a mix of uses that match the city’s consumer profile.
“One of the target developments is the Pines Mall, it is in close proximity to where some of the newer developments are happening with the casino,” Guelache said.
The Pines Mall closed in June 2020 and has sat vacant since, not benefiting the city. City officials said that is going to change.
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Retail Strategies is an economic development consulting firm based in Birmingham, Alabama. City officials said they will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the city’s market potential, develop result-driven retail and restaurant recruitment plans, implement the plan, and promote the city of Pine Bluff through marketing.
“The consultants told us that there are potentially 30 companies that have an interest or that match our profile here in the community,” Guelache said. “We’re interested in seeing who they are and how they can benefit us as a community and how we can benefit them.”
Mayor Shirley Washington expressed confidence that working with Retail Strategies will bring growth and opportunities to the city, enhancing the quality of life for residents.
“We have a number of people who commute into our community to work and so we’re hoping on the long-term that investments and the quality of life will also make them consider being residents of Pine Bluff,” Guelache said.
Guelache said this will help them to decrease the amount of “leakage” in the community, keeping people’s money inside the city.
“We have data that talks about how much money we lose on an annual basis just for people who work here but don’t live here,” Guelache said.
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“We’re talking about quality of life, and being able to offer families some option is going to be a part of that quality of life,” Guelache said.
By increasing local economic development, they hope to become the best version of Pine Bluff they can for their residents.
City officials said that also means curbing the trend of violence by boosting the population and creating positive places for people to spend time.
“Crime is always a function of population, so when you have a shrinking population base, your crime is always going to look more amplified,” Guelache said.
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