Editor’s Note: This is the second in a two-part series on presenting the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Cultural District.

In May 2018, the Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission asked several focus groups to take an honest look at Pine Bluff’s tourism, or lack thereof, and see what is missing and what could be done to redefine the city as a tourist destination.

During the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Cultural District presentation Thursday evening, Commissioner Sheri Storie told a stakeholder room that “Pine Bluff is sitting on a gold mine of history”.

“When we began our research on tourism trends, we found that cultural and heritage tourism is a huge driving force in the visitor economy and Pine Bluff has waived tourism dollars for many years,” she said.

A red flag was hoisted for Storie when A&P tax revenues in 2020 exceeded 2019 revenues.

“We knew that Pine Bluff was suffering from a lack of tourism,” she said. “With other A & Ps in other cities seeing huge tax decreases, we ended the year on a slight increase.”

Although many saw an increase in sales as a plus, it meant something different for Storie.

“Think about it for a moment. That was certainly not the case for every city that brought actual visitors and tourism revenue to their city,” she said. “Something has to be done to increase our tourism income.”

The history of the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Cultural District, the cultural institutions and everything that the district brings with it is meant to be the driving force behind tourism to Pine Bluff, an area that, according to Storie, has never been developed.

“Pine Bluff has real stories to tell,” she said.

Jimmy Cunningham, executive director of the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Alliance, spoke about the four phases within the framework in which these stories are told.

Phase 1 focuses on music, civil rights and the Delta Public Market Study. Music and civil rights will be broadcast in Phase 2, along with the Third Street business boards, Food Truck Park, Railroad, and Peace and Justice Memorial.

Phase 3 includes Film and Television, Trail of Tears, Jewish Heritage, Civil War and Veterans, Underground Railroad, and Contraband Camp. The Civil War / Veterans, Underground Railroad, and Contraband Camp continue along with the Ccotton Walk, Quapaw / Heckaton Memorial, and Steamboat Census in Phase 4.

The world-renowned architect with a single name for the project, Kwendeche, said it was a challenging job, but he worked with the Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission, Delta Rhythm & Bayous Alliance, and the Pine Bluff / Jefferson County National Heritage Trails Task Force together to translate and create an authentic vision.

“You look at other cities and other places across the country, and a lot of them are entertainment-only,” said Kwendeche, who specializes in monument conservation. “What you have in this city, what I have seen in the last few months, is a very authentic potential to create a travel destination that people all over the world want to come to.”

Kwendeche, a prestigious College of Fellows from the American Institute of Architects, also highlighted the job creation that this project would create.

“No matter what you think of the sites and the history behind the sites, this is great job potential for this city and county,” he said. “When you look at all of these different phases and components, the people have to work here. The people have to be there to serve these tourists.”

When asked during the question-and-answer portion of the presentation whether the group had liaised with other Pine Bluff authorities to ensure their plans did not conflict, Cunningham replied that he had conversations with several city guides have.

“We had some conversations with the mayor about certain things like Delta Rhythm & Bayous Blues Park,” he said. “We also had discussions with council members. We wanted to make sure we were consistent with the (reinventing) downtown plan and developments in that plan.”

The Reinventing Downtown plan, which also includes the Downtown Master Plan, was approved by Pine Bluff City Council and included action plans with a focus on developing the inner city’s role as the region’s center of arts, culture and entertainment. Given the important story that went untapped, Cunningham said the task force wanted to put a model together and then be able to come to the table with all the players working together to try and build the city.

Ryan Watley, CEO of Go Forward Pine Bluff, said in a phone interview that he hadn’t seen the presentation but was open to collaborate and communicate with anyone.

“So we released our plans to work with the people of the city and get input from the public,” said Watley, whose organization is instrumental in the redevelopment of Pine Bluff. “We have had some previous conversations with this group but none specific to this particular proposal, but we are open to a dialogue about how we can get together.”

The projected cost for Phase 1 is $ 2.5-3 million, with potential funding sources coming from the A&P Commission, the City of Pine Bluff, and public and private grants. The long-term management of the Phase 1 projects is led by the Pine Bluff Parks and Recreation Department.

“Every three years, the task force and collaborators will develop a plan, collect public feedback from residents and submit it to the city council for approval,” said Cunningham. He urged those present to contact the city council members and express their support.

“We need all the support we can get from every citizen who believes in the idea that culture, history and tourism can be connected in a powerful way and bring this community together and bring in money here too.”

The presentation of the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Cultural District can be viewed at https://fb.watch/6v7S4_jLiG/

An artistic performance by the Delta Rhythm and Bayous Blues Park. (Especially for retail)

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