Best of Siloam Springs

of the downtown while diversifying and expanding it. Recruiting new businesses and converting vacant spaces to new uses. Stacy took over as Executive Director in May of 2020, but she has been a part of Siloam Springs since she was a child. "My family moved to the area when I was ten, so I have lived here most of my life," she said. "Siloam Springs was always the place to come when I was growing up. is is where all of the activity was with the theaters and stores, etc. And I remember the downtown, frankly, as being pretty bare and not a lot there. So, to be able to do this for a living now, be a part of bringing it back to life, it really means a lot to me. e downtown area of a community is really the heartbeat, where the town originated and the energy flows from. It feels great to bring it back to its original glory." e Siloam Springs Downtown & Connectivity Master Plan When Stacy took the reigns of Main Street Siloam Springs, the organization was in the midst of a very ambitious effort called the Siloam Springs Downtown & Connectivity Master Plan that had launched in 2014. e purpose of this plan was to continue preservation and improvements in the downtown's environment through infrastructure and facility planning, with the ultimate goal of realizing a more vibrant urban core. A particular focus of the plan has been placed on opportunities to leverage and enhance public assets such as Siloam Spring's park spaces, Sager Creek, the off-road trail system, and the original Spring sites; to create walkable and bikeable downtown streets; and to promote further economic development. In addition, the plan has sought to create better connections between downtowns and its surrounding neighborhoods, John Brown University, and other assets in the city and region. is plan is already positively impacting the quality of life for all members and visitors of the Siloam Springs community. "ere is one final phase of the master plan waiting to be completed that involves the infrastructure improvements for East Main Street that runs from downtown out to the 412," Stacy said. "is is something the city is actually working on currently it with and outside company. It will probably be another year until it comes into play." Communities across the country have been rediscovering historic downtowns as the center of civic life and a source of community and cultural identity. And Main Street Siloam Springs has embodied this movement. "Siloam Springs is a great place to plant your business because it is located with the 49 Corridor on one side and Oklahoma of the other," Stacy said. "We call it a hidden gem, and it really is. With the creek running through it, the parks, the quaint downtown atmosphere, it is a great place to live and a super destination for a getaway. Living here I have access to everything I need plus it's close to other amenities of Northwest Arkansas." Siloam Springs Herald-Leader Wednesday, November 9, 2022 Best of Siloam Springs • 17 Melanie K. Pentecost Arkansas Master Florist Flowers & GiFts Siloam Thank you Siloam Springs for voting us as your favorite for 17 years! www.SiloamFlowersAndGifts.com • 479-524-4447 • 201A S. BroAdwAy

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