(Editor’s Note: Each year, Arkansas Business partners with the Arkansas Municipal League to present the Trendsetter City awards, which recognize exceptional initiatives underway in municipalities across the state. Large, medium and small-sized cities were honored in six categories: Diversity and Inclusion; Education/Workforce Development; Infrastructure and Water; Public Works/Environmental and Green Management; Technology and Security; and Tourism Development/Creative Culture. Below is one winner’s story. For more, click here.)
Tourism Development/Creative Culture
Honorable Mention • Over 20,000
Population: 89,142 | Mayor: George McGill | County: Sebastian | Region: Northwest
The Challenge
How can a city nestled along the serene Arkansas River garner more attention and tourism? This was the question for Fort Smith as it began the journey to develop the city’s land along the riverfront. An ambitious undertaking, the city turned to grants and community support to make the riverfront area into a hub of culture and community life.
Fort Smith has several other areas along the riverfront that have gained attention from locals and tourists alike, such as John Bell Jr. Park, The Riverfront Bike and Skate Park and the Center for the Creative Arts’ Institute for the Creative Arts.
The Solution
The U.S. Marshals Museum has garnered attention from all over the world. In its first month alone, the museum saw almost 10,000 visitors from 38 states and several other countries. The Harry E. Kelley Amphitheater hosts an array of events, from the annual Levitt Concert Series to the Peacemaker Festival, which boasts around 10,000 concert-goers each year. The amphitheater’s renovation, partially funded by grants, exemplifies the power of public-private partnerships in revitalizing public spaces.
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