Urban Renewal director updates board on agency’s housing plans
The housing initiatives set forth by Pine Bluff’s Urban Renewal Agency are progressing slowly, Executive Director Chandra Griffin said during a housing update to the agency’s board members last week.
According to Griffin, the developmental agreement for the multifamily units on Sixth Avenue and Main Street is taking longer than expected. Architectural services will be done by Taggart Architects. The developers are Kelly Eubanks and Dr. David Willis.
Ironing out the details of the agreement with the developers is what is slowing down the process, Griffin indicated. She said in the agreement the developers will have a 12-month time of completion with a two-month grace period considering the weather and the cost of supplies.
“The main thing was the determination of the developmental agreement,” said Griffin. “We didn’t think about if there is a non-performance. The bond insurance is in place for non-performance.”
Griffin said in an August 2022 meeting that funding was ready. The 26 multifamily units will consist of one- and two-bedroom apartments facing Sixth Avenue. The property will feature a courtyard in the middle with privacy wood planks and parking in the back.
Griffin said the units will run from Convention Center Drive to Georgia Street.
“The architects are getting bids for the survey and Geotech,” Griffin said, adding PBURA will be financially responsible for getting the site ready before turning it over to the architects for construction.
The construction cost is approximately $3.2 million, for
which the developers are responsible.
The agency is also pursuing the purchase of an adjacent property for an identical development in the future.
“We have the OK to make that purchase but can’t get a clear title on a small portion of three lots,” said Griffin. “Until that title has been cleared, that’s when we’ll close on that property.”
A meeting with students from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, with Go Forward Pine Bluff CEO Ryan Watley and Griffin was a success, she said. The group met in February at the site of 33rd Avenue and Plum Street for their single-family ALICE housing project.
Last month, Griffin said there was a delay in the ALICE-area model homes after meeting with Fay Jones Architecture due to inflation costs and features such as the windows alone coming in over budget.
“They were here to tour the city and also the site,” said Griffin who added the students are working on the design and materials for the house.
Griffin said they are still in the process of getting the cost to build and looking at alternative materials for various structures of the homes.
In other business, Griffin said demos are at a standstill due to Entergy being backed up with work orders. According to Griffin, Entergy must disconnect power to the properties, but due to a storm that hit the state, the company is behind.
Progress for the Sixth and Main Street Restaurant and Retail Development transforming a two-block area from Sixth Avenue and Main Street to State Street has made some progress. UAPB owns a portion of the land on Sixth and Main, but Griffin said last month the agency was able to secure the land through a lease agreement including the parking lot.
UAPB’s incubator is on the property and, according to the agreement, students would be able to utilize the parking lot to enter the incubator, which will be behind the food hall. The memorandum of understanding between UAPB, The Generator and Urban Renewal allows students to have internships, other partnerships and entrepreneurship.
The proposed project will upgrade the existing hardscape plaza with landscape and water features; renovate the existing storage building into a food incubator and restaurant; create rooftop dining and an outdoor deck; renovate the existing bank branch into a retail incubator; build an outdoor amphitheater at an existing undeveloped lot; and improve existing parking lots.
“Final bids were due on the 23rd,” said Griffin. “We should see some work begin in mid-March.”
Tree and debris removal have already been done from the area, which Griffin said would create parking for UAPB. She said once landscaping begins additional trees will be added.
“That project is moving along very well,” she concluded.
Griffin plans to address the Development and Planning Commission in reference to a resolution that will allow PBURA to work outside of the Urban Renewal area.
Last month officials expressed a lack of progress was being made when it came to blight removal, especially around Pine Bluff High School. Griffin said she had expressed that area needs to be the focus and even constructed an area map of targeted homes adjacent to the high school that fall in the Urban Renewal area. Griffin mentioned the law allows the fire and police chiefs to declare what would be a nuisance or danger for immediate removal and said Urban Renewal could render the removal services.
It was proposed then that Urban Renewal extend the offer that its equipment and personnel be used to do the removal if the fire and police chiefs will exercise their authority inside and outside the Urban Renewal area, and have the chiefs sign off on the resolution acknowledging the program.
Griffin said with so many of the homes being more than 50% burned, this can help with removing them quickly but the City Council would have to make the final approval to allow Urban Renewal to move out of their area.