Numerous community leaders including Mayor Parnell Vann, SAU President Dr. Trey Berry, and Magnolia Schools Superintendent John Ward, as well as a full house of local residents ranging from students to professionals to seniors, were in attendance Monday evening at a workshop titled “Magnolia Plan 2040.” The event was headed by James David, a strategic planning consultant from the Garver Group of Little Rock, and was designed so the firm could gain input on the future planning of the city directly from its citizens.
“This whole thing tonight is about hearing what your ideas are for the future of Magnolia,” said David. “In teams, you can build a community vision and make recommendations and plan for the future. This is one opportunity we have for public engagement.”
A presentation room in building 103 of the Harvey Couch Business Park was filled with multiple tables which contained large, detailed maps of Magnolia. Each station was designed for five to seven individuals seated at each table to mark and plan improvements for the city, whether it be new housing developments, entertainment venues, road improvements, restaurants, and more.
“We’re going to take all that you all put down [tonight] … and use that as part of the plan that we actually put together,” said David.
The consulting firm will examine the input it received Monday as part of the workshop and infuse that information with its own vision of what Magnolia can be over the next quarter century. By doing this, David and his co-workers will then give a finished presentation to the city and its citizens sometime early next year.
After nearly an hour of brainstorming and designing in their individual groups, each table leader presented a consensus of ideas for the city. By far the most common theme of the night was the desperate need for more entertainment options within the town, especially those that cater to younger generations and the student population of Southern Arkansas University. A movie theater and bowling alley-centered entertainment complex, as well as new restaurant options, were nearly unanimous as the primary responses Monday.
“I can’t speak for all SAU students, but I do know that the more we invest in entertainment options that are going to appeal to the millennial generation the more revenue is going to be generated in the community,” said one current SAU student. “My goal in coming here tonight was to try to find innovative ways for the community to work for the school and the school work for the community so maybe after some of the college students graduate, they might want to stick around and help generate some revenue and help create a better job market and new jobs.”
Many of the groups featuring younger citizens and students pointed to online marketing for many Magnolia retail businesses as another avenue to jobs, tax dollars and revenue for the future. David agreed and informed the room that the retail industry is currently changing.
“For local cities, what that means is that experience matters, small businesses matter, and those things having an online presence is very, very important,” he said.
Most groups also expressed concern over the lack of affordable housing options for most income levels in Magnolia, as well as the abundance of blighted neighborhoods. David said that, when researching Magnolia previously, he found real estate prices for the city to be extremely high relative to the town’s size.
“In looking at some of the price-per-square-foot rates on some of the housing in Magnolia, it was actually higher than West Little Rock. That’s almost never the case,” said David. “The housing is pretty expensive here.”
Recently opened house manufacturer Little Custom Homes at 1704 North Vine Street in July was the beneficiary of a $425,000-plus investment by the Magnolia Economic Development Corporation to remedy just such housing issues. The business model for the company relies heavily on either currently abandoned or blighted lots which already contain utilities as primary locations for new homes to be placed. The structures are not considered mobile or modular and usually retail from around $55,000 to $100,000, depending on options. With such a business opening, not only does it provide dozens of new jobs for the area, but it may also help revitalize many existing derelict lots in Magnolia.
Amenities for the city, especially 24-hour restaurant options, city parks, and the lack of late night entertainment for young people were also mentioned multiple times during the Monday meeting. Former BancorpSouth president and current Magnolia Regional Medical Center board member Steve Nipper, on behalf of his group, suggested a Waffle House or comparable chain as a restaurant option that could fill some of these needs. That idea promoted an encouraging response from the room.
A unique suggestion mentioned Monday was the utilization of SAU’s many agricultural abilities, including a student-grown and run hydroponic (growing plants without soil) farmers market. The transformation of the Columbia County Fairgrounds into a year-round community venue was also mentioned.
“We have all that space there and it only really only gets used once a year,” said one local student.
Beautification of entry roads into the city as well as better lighting along U.S. Highway 79 was brought up often Monday.
“The gateways [to the city] – Vine Street and Main Street — aren’t really representative of the community,” said David. “They don’t represent the best of what Magnolia stands for.”
Due to these roads technically being state highways or bypasses, options are limited as to the variances which can be granted for beautification. The city of Magnolia, though, will be taking control of most of Main Street in the future. Once this occurs, the corridor stretching from the Columbia County Courthouse to the intersection of U.S. Highways 79 and 82 will no longer fall under state highway regulations. This could then open the door for city improving the aesthetics of East Main Street.
David also praised the city for many of its attributes, specifically its downtown and its valuable assets such as large industry and the local university. “We’ve found that most towns outside of metropolitan areas in Arkansas are not growing unless they have a university. That is a very valuable asset you all have here,” he said.
With all of the maps and suggested notes provided during the Monday workshop, David will take the results to his firm and begin working on an official plan for the future of Magnolia in the coming months. He said that meetings just as the one held Monday night are instrumental in finding just what is needed and wanted for a town and its citizens.
To offer feedback on the future of Magnolia and to see information on its planning, visit www.magnolia.planyourcity.com.