Strategic plan for downtown on agenda

The Rotary Club of Little Rock will host a panel discussion with the Downtown Little Rock Partnership and master plan development team members today to update the plan for the city’s downtown.

The panel discussion is not open to the public.

Panelists will include Gabe Holmstrom, the executive director of Downtown Little Rock Partnership, and Daniel Church, an urban planner with Sasaki Associates. Hank Kelley, chief executive officer of Kelley Commercial Partners, will moderate the discussion.

The Downtown Little Rock Partnership is a nonprofit organization that works with the city and others on projects for the area. Dr. Dean Kumpuris, a Little Rock city director, is among its board members.

Sasaki Associates is a planning and design firm hired by the city directors to help craft a downtown Little Rock master plan.

The Sasaki firm will be paid $705,000 for consulting work. Additionally, the city has agreed to reimburse the firm for up to $40,000 in certain expenses, unless the city authorizes a change to the amount in writing, according to a signed copy of the contract. Funding will be drawn from Little Rock’s allocation of American Rescue Plan Act money.

In 2023, officials said that the entire process in Little Rock — including focus groups and advisory committee meetings — was expected to take nine months, with a plan ready for public review by May.

Today’s Rotary meeting is scheduled to take place from noon-1 p.m. at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library, 1200 President Clinton Ave., in Little Rock.