Downtown Improving, But Still Needs Different Support

There may be some shops, theaters and certainly nightlife in downtown Little Rock. But businesses surveyed downton say they still need more to keep up momentum. For starters, 84 percent of businesses who responded to a Downtown Partnership survey say they felt parking was adequate. But they still had a different response when asked what needs to be fixed. "Parking," is a problem, said Biana Peterson who works in two stores and lives downtown. "You see the same car driving up and down the street six times because they can`t find a place to park," she said. Another issue: businesses don`t have a sense of security in downtown. A problem the Partnership says can be fixed with more than just police and security officers, but alo by addressing an ever-present problem of homelessness. "Lighting, a lot of cosmetic things that give people a sense of saftey, street furniture," would all be helpful, Sharon Priest, head of the Downtown Partnership, said. "Even though the homeless may not be dangerous, to other people, the perception that they are is. And if there`s aggressive panhandling going on then that intimidates people." Businesses also suggested more retail stores and a variety of restaurants. But further improvements will need their own support, because it is not just businesses who breathe life into downtown. "I think we can, if we get more housing. Housing is critical to downtown. Housing is going to make downtown a 24-7 type city," she explained. Priest says more housing is on the way, for example, on 3rd Street and in the Boyle Building, which has just been purchased. The group is also developing a security plan to present to the Little Rock City Board.