Business, leisure and more in the last installment of our annual Vision section.
El Dorado has a lot to look forward to in 2018. Existing businesses and community areas have plans to grow while some new industry will head this way.
Downtown El Dorado will continue its revitalization with new construction ongoing, with plans for new businesses and housing within the year.
The Murphy Arts District (MAD) plans to complete their playscape by mid-May, when they will also allow their twice-weekly farmer’s market to begin operating. The local partnerships developed through the Griffin restaurant will supply the market.
A new restaurant is also set to open downtown, at the former location of Elm Street Bakery. According to News-Times archives, the restaurant is slated to feature farm-to-table fare, and upon opening will be run by a team from Florida. Tracy Alderson-Fort will be the driving force behind the restaurant.
EHS graduate Taylor Thomas has plans for a record store in the basement area behind Spa on Main. He said that while vinyl records will be his main fare, he may feature other goods like El Dorado themed T-shirts, novelty items and record players.
“I think it’ll be a really cool underground place … I think the music will be enough to bring people around here together, “Thomas said, adding that a theme of the store will be counterculture.
MAD has so far raised $70 million of the $100 million they need to start on Phase II of the project. That will include the renovations of the Rialto Theater and the McWilliams building to create a new theatre space and an art gallery with in-house artists’ quarters, respectively.
Several housing projects have also been announced for the downtown area. Lofts on Main will take up the top two floors at the rebuilt Social Security Building, former house of Pat’s Glass. Construction is expected to begin and will include 2,500 sq. ft and a downstairs commercial space. A single-family home will be built a block east, at 313-315 E. Main.
The building at 103-115 S. Washington, across the street from BancorpSouth, will be renovated and should be able to accommodate two or three tenants, according to previous reporting. The project is slated for completion by fall this year.
A Planet Fitness has set up shop in the Northwest Village Shopping Center on North West Avenue. They expect to be open this month or next.
“We want to make sure that we’re making high-value, lowcost fitness available to towns like El Dorado,” said Ken Horn, marketing manager for the local franchise.
Why Weight, a medical facility aimed at helping people lose weight healthily, opened earlier this month at 1406 N. West Ave. The officer has a doctor and a nurse practitioner on staff and provides weight loss counseling, including giving dietary recommendations and prescribing exercise regimens and medication if necessary.
SouthArk Community College’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Center is set to open on the East Campus in June this year. The AMTC will have brand new state-of-the-art equipment, including both training software and hands-on systems that allow students to train in their technical fields safely. Two new courses of study will be available, an Electrical and Instrumentation (E&I) program, and a Mechanical program. Courses are available for college credit or for working towards technical certification.
Sweet Mama T’s opened in January this year. Their slogan, “food like mama makes,” is indicative of their soul food menu and specials.
Improvements to the Union County Recreation Complex are ongoing. Eight dugouts will get new roofs, a gazebo will be erected and an irrigation box will be relocated. A master plan is also being devised and will be brought before the El Dorado Works board for consideration, before advancing to the El Dorado City Council for adoption.