The Delta Rhythm and Bayous District project has gotten treated poorly a number of times by the Pine Bluff City Council over the past couple of years or more. So it was that a recent kindness extended to the program provided a pleasant surprise.
The development of a downtown wellness park was approved by the council during a public hearing, a move that will put in place one of the early pieces of the district’s infrastructure plans for the area. In the end, the district plans to highlight the legacy of Pine Bluff’s cultural, historic and entertainment past. Not only will that enrich the lives of Pine Bluff residents but it will attract tourists interested in our history, which is one of the richest around.
The city’s Planning Commission had not green-lit the project due to some zoning complications that came about because Jefferson County owns a small piece of the planned area. But Larry Matthews, representing the Economic and Community Development Department, which is the driving force behind the project, said the wellness park would not be placed on the county’s property if county officials objected. Good luck to Matthews in trying to get something substantive out of county government where many on the Quorum Court can’t agree with the county judge on what day of the week it is. But that’s another story.
Council member Glen Brown Sr. questioned the hesitance of the Planning Commission to approve the matter.
“If we’re going to do things in this city and move forward, why would that be denied if it’s part of a plan for a downtown project.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
It’s a valid question, but in the end, that all got worked out with the council’s approval, it would appear.
The wellness area will have pickleball courts, exercise equipment and a play area for children, to name a few of the amenities.
The public also seemed jazzed about the wellness park, with former council member Ivan Whitfield throwing his support behind it.
“I think it’s going to improve the downtown area,” he said.
The attractive part of anything to do with the Delta Rhythm and Bayous District is the fact that, unlike many other tax-supported plans that have been trotted out over the past few years, district officials have studied how much the district will cost and, with much transparency, have released the estimates for how much it will make, with the plus side far outweighing the negative. And those estimates have come from outside entities with no dog in the hunt.
In short, applause to the council for moving this project along. Slowly but surely, progress is being made.