New housing, growth coming to Decatur
DECATUR — One of the key ingredients for the survival of many small communities across this great nation is growth — growth in expanding housing markets, growth in community services, and growth in local school districts. For the small town of Decatur, growth in housing starts meant expansion on the west side of the town along Arkansas Highway 102.
The small community of Corner Springs, which eventually became Decatur just after the turn of the 20th century, was founded by a small group of settlers sometime around the 1830s. In fact, the earliest headstone in the Decatur Cemetery is dated 1835.
The city of Decatur, according to the 1901 census, had a population of only 246. By the 1950s, when Decatur founded the famed Decatur Barbecue (1953), it had a population of around 350. A steady growth began in the area due, in large part, to the poultry industry helping Decatur reach a population of 1,314 by the turn of the century (2000). At the last census in 2020, the town had grown to 1,773.
But flaws in the latest census mean that not everyone was counted. So the number could be much higher.
Five years ago, Decatur experienced stagnation in the housing market, with no new construction. Because of this stagnation, Mayor Bob Tharp tried to get new businesses to move in. He and the council were unable to get any hits. The common reason given was that Decatur was simply too small to support any new businesses.
So the city was faced with a dilemma: try to get the housing market to start growing or face annexation of surrounding lands into other cities like Centerton, which is expanding to the
west toward Decatur, or Gentry which is expanding to the north toward Decatur. So Tharp and the city council, with the help of the planning and zoning commission set out to get developers interested in moving into Decatur.
In the meantime, several new houses began springing up all over the city. Then. three years ago, a new multifamily housing development was built just east of the Grant Springs Apartments. The housing complex on Hidden Springs Drive offered seven fourunit buildings that gave people moving into the area to work at the new Simmons plant a place to stay and become residents of Decatur.
Then, in 2020, a developer expressed interest in building a new multi-family duplex housing complex on the west side of Decatur. After getting all the necessary paperwork approved by the city and the planning commission, the Sycamore Acres housing development began the first phase of construction and, at present, three new duplex buildings are nearing completion, with more in the works.
While work continues on the Sycamore Acres project, another single-family housing development began clearing land about three miles southwest of Decatur on Falling Springs Road. Details on this new development were unavailable at press time.
During a specially called city council meeting in the conference room at city hall, Tharp presented an ordinance to accept 160 acres of land owned by Terry and Jeannie Lucker and Jason and Heather Herron to be annexed into the city of Decatur.
The land is located on Mt. Olive Road just northwest of Decatur Northside Elementary school.
After reviewing the documents presented to the planning and zoning commission, the council, in three readings, voted to accept the new annex into the city.
With the continuing expansion, the Decatur School District can grow. New businesses and services can set up shops within the community.
The future appears strong for the city and includes growth with the help of longtime residents and new residents working together to make Decatur a strong and vibrant community.