LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – It’s been 20 years since the Clinton Presidential Center opened its doors and while the center has attracted many visitors inside, it has also brought them outside to the greater metro area.
When choosing between 30 potential locations to build, the Clinton team wanted to ensure that the selected site would benefit socially and economically from reinvestment in the area.
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Tasha Stratton said she saw that firsthand and still does.
When she and her husband first leased space on Third Street 14 years ago to open Dugan’s Pub and later Stratton’s Market, it was a far cry from where it is now.
“It was almost like tumbleweeds rolling down the street. It was very empty, and a lot of people told us we were crazy for doing it,” Stratton admitted.
But they had a vision of what could happen to Little Rock’s Warehouse District now more commonly called East Village.
Gabe Holmstrom, Little Rock Downtown Partnership executive director, remembers what caused an almost immediate boost to the area.
“Really it just took the announcement of where the Clinton Presidential Center was going to be, and then you saw a lot of things start to take place,” Holmstrom stated.
The Little Rock Chamber of Commerce is awaiting results from a 20-year study on the center’s impact. The chamber in partnership with the presidential center completed a similar study for the 10th anniversary.
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The 10-year study found $2.46 billion in investment in Downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock since the center announced an abandoned rail-switching yard would be transformed.
Little Rock Tourism and Visitors Bureau President and CEO Gina Gimberling said the center continues to be one of their top visitor attractions.
“You can see the growth all around the city. That when our travelers to come to visit the Clinton Library, they don’t just stay downtown, they go to all areas of our community,” Gimberling said.
A short list of places that have moved to or been built near the presidential center includes Dickey-Stephens Park, Heifer International, E-Stem schools and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.
“It is definitely an anchor to this area,” Stratton mentioned.
Stratton said whether it’s a tourist or a new neighbor enjoying the growth in the shadow of the presidential center, she welcomes all for what the next 20 years have in store.
“Anything new that moves out here is like an extra cherry on top,” she concluded.
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To read the 10-year impact study ahead of the 20-year results, click here.