Arkansas City Hopes $100 Million Effort Will Restore Glory

[LiberalArkie]

EL DORADO, Ark. — An oil and timber town that was Arkansas’ richest community nearly a century ago believes that building a $100 million arts district in its historic downtown will spark a “cultural infusion” that can reverse a decadeslong population slide.

El Dorado, with about 18,300 residents near the Louisiana border, believes that after shoring up its tax base, infrastructure and school system, the entertainment hub will bring back the glory years that followed a 1920s oil boom.

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“We went around the region to make sure we were right about what people were looking for,” Stewart said. “That takes us into all kinds of entertainment: something for kids, good food, good service.”

Rebooting a boomtown began a decade ago — after El Dorado lost a quarter of its population in a quarter of a century. Murphy Oil launched the El Dorado Promise, a 20-year pledge to pay college tuition for graduates from the local high school, then voters approved a property tax increase to build a state-of-the-art high school and a 1-cent sales tax increase for economic development.

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https://mobile.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/09/29/business/ap-us-rebooting-a-boomtown.html?_r=0&referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. "Location Location Location"

Sorry El Dorado but it just isn't going to happen.

[WhiteTara]

2. That was my thought.

Getting in and out south Arkansas is a major hassle.

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. Artist colonies spring spontaneously out of a sweet hip or interesting location.

I don't think it can be forced and it can take a while to develop into a "money maker". Think of Austin.

[NCjack]

3. Transforming El Dorado to a artsy village -- they do realize the culture divide they are creating?

Arsty people tend to have a lot of liberals, and we all know where that will go.

[LiberalArkie]

6. What struck me as interesting is that the rich ( and they are legion there) voted a 1%

property tax increase again for a new high school. Hard to find many communities getting things like that passed. They have the longest running symphony orchestras in the state. But they are not as isolated as Heber Springs and Fayetteville.

[procon]

5. Nice idea, but they'd first need to uplift the entire state.

Without an expansive investment in education, job training, public services including comprehensive healthcare, and more inclusive employment opportunities, and more progressive government policies, an arts center is beyond the reach of the majority of an impoverished population.