25 Apr 2022 Argenta Arts District sweeps awards
NORTH LITTLE ROCK — Of the twenty-four categories in Main Street Arkansas’s bi-annual awards, North Little Rock’s Argenta Arts District won seven at the Arkansas Municipal League meeting held in Little Rock on March 27.
“It is an honor to have the hard work and passion of Argenta individuals and organizations recognized alongside other Arkansas communities,” said Chris Kent, executive director of Argenta Downtown Council.
Main Street Arkansas awards were presented to:
- Argenta Downtown Council and North Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau for Argenta Plaza in the category of Outstanding Downtown Public Improvement Project (Public Space)
- Argenta Downtown Council and North Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau for 6th Street Extension and 600 Main Building in the category of Outstanding Economic Impact Project
- Argenta Downtown Council for Argenta Outdoor Dining District in the category of Outstanding Downtown Event (Promotional Series)
- Argenta Downtown Council for Argenta Mural Project in the category of Outstanding Public Art Project (Programming)
- John Gaudin, Argenta resident and President of Argenta Wealth Management, in the category of Main Street Hero
- Jess McMullen, co-owner of Flyway Brewing and Brood & Barley, in the category of Outstanding Main Street Merchant
- John Crow for The Argenta Green House in the category of Outstanding Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Project (Small Scale)
In the past two years, the Argenta Downtown Council, City of NLR and the NLR Convention & Visitors Bureau collaborated to grow NLR’s downtown for businesses, residents and visitors such as establishing an entertainment district, improving infrastructure and attracting new business. Argenta Plaza, a new public venue, is managed and promoted by the NLR CVB and had an estimated local economic impact of $289,000 from events in 2021. Custom XM, located on Main Street, also received honorable mention for best façade improvement.
John Gaudin spearheaded fundraising and direction for new public art throughout the downtown area as well as revitalized Third Friday Argenta Art Walk. Jess McMullen of Flyway Brewing and Brood & Barley rallied his fellow downtown restaurant owners to coordinate dining outdoors on Main Street and special events in partnership with Four Quarter Bar. John Crow restored an historic home into a successful AirBnB.
For more information, visit argentaartsdistrict.org.
Main Street Arkansas is a program of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, an agency of the Division of Arkansas Heritage. There are 19 designated Main Street programs across the state and 21 Downtown Network Communities. The local programs commit to following a four-point approach created by Main Street America that includes organization, promotion, design and economic vitality. These four-points are the bases of the awards. To learn more, visit MainStreetArkansas.com.
