Sometimes the wheels of government turn slowly, but that doesn’t mean things aren’t moving in the right direction.
Nine years ago, the city of North Little Rock received a grant for $2.3 million to improve transportation options and spur economic development in the city’s Levy area near Interstate 40. Today, the project is nearly complete with new sidewalks and crosswalks in place and new lighting and landscaping on the way.
Totaling 4,000 square feet, the Tushek Building “could have been anything,” said former owner Beverly Mihalyka. And it has been. But, over a century of use, the Tushek may now be serving its most important function yet — as the anchor of municipal services for its citizens, and as a model of historic renovation in a city looking to encourage reinvestment in its downtown.
Black. Southern. Woman. Poet. Activist — these are just a handful of the identities that are an integral part of my humanity and how I move through this world. Though important to show up in my fullness, there is also a veil of disdain when I am navigating a world that constantly rejects me for my ethnicity and assumed civil standing in a country that was built from a legacy of slave labor.
In 1947, Newt Hailey built a new Art Deco-style building in downtown Rogers to house his automobile dealership. Large, curved storefront windows under a tiled facade allowed passersby to view the Ford and Mercury automobiles on display in the showroom. The yearly unveiling of new models was a special event. Workers sneaked the cars into the showroom overnight and covered both the showroom windows and the cars themselves so they could not be seen before the big moment. Residents dressed up for the Saturday event to admire the new cars, even though most could not afford them.
In 2017, my husband, Zach, and I —new empty nesters — were ready for an adventure. Being a lifelong resident of Springdale, I have many fond memories of downtown, which is why getting involved with the revitalization effort was a perfect fit. For our first project, we purchased a cottage built in 1897. Even though most considered it a teardown, we could see the potential.