Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – August 6, 2024 – The Jonesboro City Council approved an ordinance creating a Downtown Entertainment District at its meeting Tuesday night. The Downtown Jonesboro Alliance (DJA) had asked the council to approve the district earlier this year.
The ordinance passed on a 8-3 vote. (FOR: Williams, Emison, Gibson, McClain, Hafner, Street, Bryant, Johnson; AGAINST: A Coleman, C Coleman, Porter; ABSENT: Moore). The ordinance will go into effect in thirty days.
Several council members questioned Police Chief Rick Elliott about impact the Entertainment District would have on the city’s budget. Council member Janice Porter had asked Elliott to estimate how much additional security needed might cost his department should the district be created. At the last council meeting Porter read an e-mail from Elliott estimating the annual cost of overtime needed to supply the protection at $157,000. At that same meeting Elliott responded saying he had spent time visiting with authorities in other Arkansas communities who have adopted the Entertainment District concept. Elliott said Ft. Smith also anticipated a significant cost impact to its police department when the district was created.
Jonesboro Police Chief Rick Elliott
However, Elliott said the Ft. Smith officials said that had not been the case and that the district had caused very little impact to its police department. Elliott recommended the city review the activity within the district after six months and make adjustments as needed. “This is all new to us, it’s a new concept,” Elliott said. “I’ve done the best due diligence that I can to reach out, look at other entities that are doing this, look at the numbers, talk to businesses, and talk to my officers. But at the end of the day, I’ll be the first one to come back to the council and say ‘this was a bad idea’ if I need to.”
Bob Hester, who identifies himself as state director of the American Family Coalition, repeated his opposition to the idea of an entertainment district. Hester had written an opinion on JRN explaining his opposition. He also challenged the DJA to debate the issue which did not take place. Hester told the council that downtown developers have hung their success and future on alcohol. Hester gave numbers of businesses who have opened and closed and the number of buildings he said are vacant suggesting the downtown area isn’t as successful as some say it is. “This entertainment district is just another way of depending on alcohol consumption to make this small area successful at the cost of other parts of Jonesboro.”
Downtowner James Bickham said he owns a loft downtown and rents a downtown studio space from property owner Dan Johnson. Bickham told the council he represents the younger generation. “Jonesboro has grown,” Bickham said. “I remember the days when Jonesboro was smaller, when there was no alcohol, I remember when the downtown area was a place ASU students didn’t want to go, didn’t care to go. My wife and I sit on our balcony now and watch the hundreds of people come and eat and walk up and down Main Street having a good time. Obviously, I can’t speak much about drunk drivers who choose to drink and drive. But I can say as someone who is downtown every day, this is something that can do nothing but benefit downtown.”
The ordinance approved calls for the creation of a seven-member Entertainment District oversight committee. The committee will consist of one member from the City Council, two DJA business owners, one member of the Advertising and Promotion Commission or its executive director, two citizens who live or work within the Entertainment District boundaries and one member from an arts and entertainment venue within the district.
The Jonesboro Chamber of Commerce has scheduled its Paint the Town Red Week Downtown Block Party on Friday, September 6. “We’re anticipating this being the first event that falls under the Entertainment District’s new rules,” Vice Chairman of Chamber Programs Cody Slater said today.