Main Street Texarkana tries to revamp downtown
By: Jade Cunningham
Updated: February 20, 2013
Main Street Texarkana continues to try and help make the Twin City's downtown area come alive.
Since 2007 they've looked at different things that'll help including design, organization, and the community support.
What used to be an area frull of life, is now a place with rundown buildings and quiet streets. Just ask longtime business owner, Sharon Felps, who works in a part of Texarkana History.
"This business has been here for about 130 years. It's really neat to think that people have been coming in this store every workday since."
And while some may see an area of the past, she's looking towards the future.
"We have a few deteriorating buildings, and it would probably encourage people to come down more often if we could freshen up the downtown. It would be really nice if we could restore parts of downtown Texarkana to reflect our history and our relationship with the railroad."
Many of the business owners, including the ones at Logan Electric, see a lot of potential for the downtown area, and one day that could possibly happen all thanks to the efforts of Main Street Texarkana.
"You want to take what you have in the present and make it work for the present. But you don't want to ignore the history," said Executive Director Ina McDowell.
McDowell says change has started.
"We've already got a lot of neat restaurants, some new, some coming in, and we certainly have new opportunities for retail shops and that's something we'd like to see more of. The more we can do to draw people in the downtown area (through promotion and opening of new places, getting it cleaned up and looking nice) the better."
But she wants the Texarkana community to know, it'll take time.
"Our downtown didn't get where it is now, yesterday, and it won't get resolved tomorrow. It takes years of planning and work, but it's also community driven and we need everybody's support and appreciation of what we do have in the downtown area."
If you'd like to get more information on Main Street Texarkana, or find out how you can get involved, go to their website at: mainstreettexarkana.org.
Since 2007 they've looked at different things that'll help including design, organization, and the community support.
What used to be an area frull of life, is now a place with rundown buildings and quiet streets. Just ask longtime business owner, Sharon Felps, who works in a part of Texarkana History.
"This business has been here for about 130 years. It's really neat to think that people have been coming in this store every workday since."
And while some may see an area of the past, she's looking towards the future.
"We have a few deteriorating buildings, and it would probably encourage people to come down more often if we could freshen up the downtown. It would be really nice if we could restore parts of downtown Texarkana to reflect our history and our relationship with the railroad."
Many of the business owners, including the ones at Logan Electric, see a lot of potential for the downtown area, and one day that could possibly happen all thanks to the efforts of Main Street Texarkana.
"You want to take what you have in the present and make it work for the present. But you don't want to ignore the history," said Executive Director Ina McDowell.
McDowell says change has started.
"We've already got a lot of neat restaurants, some new, some coming in, and we certainly have new opportunities for retail shops and that's something we'd like to see more of. The more we can do to draw people in the downtown area (through promotion and opening of new places, getting it cleaned up and looking nice) the better."
But she wants the Texarkana community to know, it'll take time.
"Our downtown didn't get where it is now, yesterday, and it won't get resolved tomorrow. It takes years of planning and work, but it's also community driven and we need everybody's support and appreciation of what we do have in the downtown area."
If you'd like to get more information on Main Street Texarkana, or find out how you can get involved, go to their website at: mainstreettexarkana.org.
