Fund rest of the city

Rex Nelson is again promoting downtown Little Rock revitalization. Currently, the city is funding a master plan for the downtown area. We also contribute tax dollars to the Downtown Little Rock Partnership and the Convention and Visitors Bureau. We subsidize a rider-less yellow tourist trolley and pay ambassadors to help with cleanup and assist visitors.

Nelson wants even more tax money spent to boost downtown Little Rock with a canopy over Interstate 30 to create a deck park. He advocates for more police presence downtown, and a team of city employees to remove graffiti.

Nelson has joined real estate developer Jimmy Moses in a quest to get UALR to move its business school to downtown. A similar effort failed to get the culinary school to relocate there. Safety and adequate secure parking played a major role. And even though this master plan study says there are 50,000 parking spaces in the area, one must wonder just how many are safe.

If it were not for state and city tax subsidies, I believe Little Rock’s downtown would be a ghost town. There’s a reason there are only 4,400 residents even though 41,000 work there. Basic services are lacking. You have to drive out of downtown to shop for groceries, and most other basic necessities.

Meanwhile back in the real world of the other six wards in our city, we are concerned about potholes. We struggle to have enough code enforcement officers to monitor violations like a dump site on a major thoroughfare, or group homes in our residential neighborhoods. Our priorities are public safety and public works. These are our basic services.

For over 40 years city officials, politicians, real estate developers, and influencers have tried to revitalize the downtown area to the neglect of basic services for the rest of our city. Build it and they will come only works in the movies. If you want a “field of dreams” in downtown Little Rock, find someone other than taxpayers to build it.

DON SHELLABARGER Little Rock