Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Recovery Effort Progressing

BY JOHN MILLER

Following the tornadoes of March 1, 1997, State Rep. Percy Malone said the most important thing to be done was people getting their wits gathered back.

Once the shock had subsided somewhat, he said, the people decided to come together, organize and develop a plan to rebuild Arkadelphia and the surrounding area affected by the storms.

Gurdon was fortunate as the tornadoes bypassed the city itself, but did cause damage in the outlying area, primarily in the Southfork community.

Malone said plans are to rebuild Arkadelphia to be better than before, and those involved know the decisions they make and have made will affect generations to come.

The decisions, he said, have to be made on long and short term basis for the next seven or eight generations.

A great deal of time has been spent in meetings to make plans for rebuilding, Malone said, but it was important to get people's opinions on the direction the city needs to go.

An overall concept was developed for Arkadelphia, with the decision made to rebuild in the early 1900's motif for downtown.

Neighborhoods, he said, will also be rebuilt as neighborhoods, not just houses constructed for the sake of construction.

"We adopted a sustainable community development concept," he said, "and are trying to make sure people have better homes than before."

The new homes, he said, are more energy efficient in many cases and will have a positive effect on the community as a whole. There will be more green space, along with playgrounds in neighborhoods where children can play.

"We want to build neighborhoods, not just houses," Malone said. "We're trying to develop a sense of community."

Downtown businesses, he said, agreed with the 1900's motif for rebuilding. Plans were drawn with a model built. Now, it is time for the implementation stage to begin and the building to actually start.

Malone was able to get the Arkansas General Assembly to fund a $500,000 grant for Clark County, to be used for individuals affected.

The city, he said, had $275,00 for human needs, while the county received $225,000. Another $100,000 was approved for the Office of Emergency Services (OES) to be used for emergency warning sirens throughout the county.

Malone was also able to procure a $1 million grant for Arkadelphia's infrastructure, with 70-80 percent to be spent in rebuilding neighborhoods affected by the storm. The remainder of the funds will be used to help rebuild the business district.

Of this grant, he said, $700,000 will be for an equity buy down program. Those wanting to build houses in the affected area, he said, even if they didn't live there before, are eligible and will qualify for a 30 percent equity buy down loan. If they live in the house for seven years, the loan becomes a grant and doesn't have to be repaid.

This, Malone said, will help people rebuild and give them incentive to build in the affected region of the city.

Other money will be coming in for street repair and the construction of multi-family housing.

"We're continually working go get money to rebuild," he said. "We're working with the Small Business Administration (SBA) to see if they will help with their low interest loan program."

This program was in effect for a while during the aftermath of the storms, and Malone said, it is hoped something similar will be reinstituted to help others in need.

So far, he said, more than $15 million has been invested in Arkadelphia since the tornadoes struck. This shows a strong commitment from the private sector to rebuild by people who have confidence in the area.

It also gives others confidence to invest in the community, Malone, who is also the executive vice president of the Clark County Industrial Council, said.

"With the exception of the loss of lives, Arkadelphia will be able to come back better than before.

"Industrial prospects I've talked to aren't looking at the storm as being negative for the area. They see what we've spent to rebuild. This will help keep us successful in bringing in new jobs."

Malone said progress is further along than expected for the first 12 months following the tornadoes. "I think we'll make quantum leaps in the next 12 months."

Brown Hardman, CCIC president, said things are looking good for a year after the storms, considering the damage wrought.

Internally, he said, the CCIC has been successful in the aftermath. This, though, is because the CCIC has a very narrow focus on working to create new good paying, safe jobs for the residents of the county.

"If anything," he said, "the tornadoes caused us to tread water. This was one reason we cut back on our budget. People affected by the storm had to come first."

The area's governing bodies, he said, need to show unity at this time, Industrial prospects look closely at the type of government an area they are considering has.

"The storm didn't hurt us (the CCIC), but the aftermath can. We've got to get along and be able to talk with one another."