I t’s always a bit of an early Christmas when the city’s Advertising & Promotion Commission hands out money to various entities as a way to increase tourism.
Last week, Director Sheri Storie said it was thrilling to her that so many organizations had applied and that culling the list to something affordable was difficult.
“Today marks a monumental step forward for Pine Bluff as we work to foster a thriving environment for arts, culture and tourism,” Storie said. “With a record $428,475 in funding requests received for 2025, the decisions we made were challenging but necessary. We are proud to support a diverse array of initiatives that reflect our community’s vibrant spirit.”
Those entities that earned a nod from the commission included the Arkansas Railroad Museum; the Arts and Science Center; Black Pilots of America; Delta Rivers Nature Center; Hestand Stadium; Jefferson County Extension Homemakers; Pine Bluff Festival Association, which actually got money for two separate events; Pine Bluff Parks and Recreation for two events; Sahara Shrine Circus; Taylor Field; UAPB Foundation; King Cotton tournament; and a documentary about whistleblowers based on Martha Mitchell’s life.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“Our goal remains clear,” Storie said, “to strengthen our community through economic vitality and unique visitor experiences. As we look toward 2026, we hope to increase our grant funding to reflect the ever-growing enthusiasm for cultural events in Pine Bluff.”
By far and away, the largest amount of money — $1.3 million — was bestowed on the Pine Bluff Convention Center for operational support. The money that A&P has to give away comes from a 2% and 3% sales tax on hotels and prepared meals. That most of that money goes toward keeping the lights on at the Convention Center is a suspect use of finances. The convention center should come a lot closer to caring for its own needs through its own financial operations. Some cities have offloaded such operations to the private sector. Imagine what Storie’s commission could do with another million dollars.
They say there’s a new hotel on the way — all that has been visible is the destruction of the old one — and when and if that new one is in operation, it will be obvious in a matter of a year or two if the presence of the hotel is the savior of the convention center. That argument, as you may recall, has been one of the key selling points to having a hotel: Build it and they will come — they being tourists, who otherwise did not and would not come to town because there was no hotel there. If in fact they continue not to come, it would be time to look into the city’s operation of the convention center to determine if there’s a better way.
In the meantime, Merry Christmas to all of these organizations and entities. May the tourists show up in great numbers.