Arkadelphia vice mayor questions retail recruitment during chamber talk -

By JOE MAY | The Southern Standard

The Arkadelphia Board of Directors heard from Tara Rollins and Shelley Short with the Arkadelphia Alliance/Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Commission at their regular meeting Tuesday evening.

Short, President and CEO of the Alliance, stated that in the past year, there have been 24 companies looking at the local area and she noted that there are “good things on the horizon.” The Chamber of Commerce banquet, celebrating the area’s success, is set for April 11. That same week, she said the area should be full of people looking to view the eclipse.

The county industrial park has a 921-acre super site that the EDCCC is trying to market, Short said, adding that the group needs to work on water and electrical improvements to increase the capability for both so as to make the site more attractive to potential industries.

Assistant Mayor Roland Gosey asked about retail recruitment to the area: “Is it fair to say we don’t have what we need to create retail jobs and [attract] national chains?” he asked.

Short, noting that the Alliance primarily focuses is on industrial recruitment, said the group does not have the tools nor does the area have the population.

Short added that national chains are generally more interested in areas with 60,000-70,000 cars passing through daily. The local area has about 30,000 vehicles passing through each day.

Then, too, owners of commercial property along Pine Street are often more interested in leasing than selling, she said, which is a turn-off to large-scale retail operations that would rather own the property.

“Retail follows where people live. Bottom line, it takes numbers to attract national chains.” — Shelley Short, CEO of the Arkadelphia Regional Economic Development Alliance

Still, though, she said the Alliance’s new contract that will be providing “Blueprint,” which is designed to help those in business or looking to start a retail business. should be a boon for the area.

As the discussion continued, City Manager Gary Brinkley said he was “dumbfounded by the lack of entrepreneurial spirit” locally.

As far as national chains looking locally, Short said that “retail follows where people live. Bottom line, it takes numbers to attract national chains.”

The board, at the motion of Directors Keith Crews and Jason Jones, agreed to approve the annual $40,000 contract with the Alliance.