New Development To Happen In Texarkana

Texarkana, Arkansas, has received a 1.5 million dollar grant that will impact the community in a big way. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce. It will be used to build a main road into the North Garland Business Park; City officials couldnt be more excited about the funding. "This particular project jump-starts our economic engine and it allows us to make improvements to the quality of life to citizens in this community and city," said Charles Nickerson, City Manager. The city has some catching up to do with new development along Interstate-30. "Without the 1.5 million dollars this project would not be going forward, the city doesnt have that kind of money, " said Mayor Horace Shipp. Now a project Mike Minton has been working on for at least three years can move forward. Mintons sportsplex will sit in the park. It will be a multipurpose center, complete with a fitness center, indoor pools, and at some point an ice rink and entertainment facility. "Without it we are sitting still in the water and we have been for really the last year that we have been waiting on this, so it certainly frees us up to move forward and we can start finalizing our plans to build the facility." Mayor Horace Shipp hopes construction on the road will be completed by early fall.