Rogers Joined Main Street Program as Proactive Stance


April 29, 2004


Rogers Joined Main Street Program as Proactive Stance
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By Jill M. Rohrbach, travel writer
Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

Editor's Note: The following is one in a series of features on Main Street Arkansas, which this year celebrates its 20th year of service to Arkansas towns.

While downtown Rogers has never fallen into dilapidation since its beginning in the late 1800s, city officials, community leaders and business people realized a proactive stance was needed to ensure the downtown remained a viable opportunity for shopping, entertainment and business. So, in 1984, Rogers, along with Batesville, Osceola, Helena and Harrison, joined as pilot programs of Main Street Arkansas, a section of the state's Historic Preservation Program that provides technical assistance and design services to help create economic development in downtown areas.

"People go to sleep some places and they wake up and their downtown is gone," Marge Wolf, president of Main Street Rogers, said. "Our downtown was never boarded up, but the buildings weren't maintained. People did take it for granted, and I think it could have become in danger of losing historic elements if Main Street Rogers hadn't formed."

The railroad brought life to Rogers in 1881 when the Frisco Railroad line, which traveled from St. Louis to San Francisco, blazed its trail through the area. The City of Rogers, named for Captain C.W. Rogers, the vice-president and general manager of the line who was responsible for the route of the tracks, quickly established a business district. Early storefronts were home to grocers, professional offices, drug stores, a theater and hotels.

While the downtown has always thrived, a whirlwind of economic energy shifted new industry and shopping patterns to the west in the 1980s, a trend that continues today in this fast-growing city.

In the initial stage of Main Street Rogers, the city matched about $5,000 of downtown revitalization money from Main Street Arkansas. Next, it began a low-interest loan program to attract more businesses to downtown and established a mini-grant program.

Over the years, Main Street Rogers has created festivals, installed historic light poles, improved sidewalks, developed a parking management plan for downtown employees, built a 55-space municipal parking lot, created Frisco Park and developed a five-year strategic plan. The Walnut Street National Historic District, which features brick streets, was established in 1988 and was expanded to encompass eight-blocks in 1993. Twenty-three structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. "I brag on the buildings because they're so incredible," Wolf said.

With 283 businesses in the downtown district, the area offers everything from city government offices and small service businesses to retail space and three museums. Mixed use of buildings is the latest trend, with business or building owners opting to create loft apartments above the storefronts.

"We have a very good mix, and it continues to get better," Wolf added.

The pride of Rogers' business people can be readily seen through their continuing work in restoring buildings. Main Street Rogers has contributed by working to obtain Model Business Grants, providing Improvement Incentive Grants and other resource materials. Many façade renovations have been completed as well as three fine examples of interior restoration: the J.E. Applegate Building, a 1905 apothecary which is now Poor Richard's Gifts and Confectionery; the W.B. Felker Building, which originally opened as Bank of Rogers in 1905 but is now home to the Daisy Airgun Museum; and The Victory Theater (circa 1927), which after many years of neglect was purchased and renovated by the Rogers Little Theater and reopened as that organization's home stage.

About the only historic structural element missing from the Rogers Main Street district is the depot that served the original Frisco line. Today, an old Frisco Caboose -- located at the corner of First and Walnut streets near the tracks which are currently used by the Arkansas and Missouri Railroad -- stands as a reminder of the city's railroad roots and is open to the public during the summer months. It's also part of Frisco Park, a two-block area that serves as the heart of public events.

Today, Main Street Rogers taps into grant monies, city funds, and monies from the Friends of Main Street Rogers and a merchants association as well as festival fundraisers. Over $7 million has been reinvested in downtown Rogers since 1984.

"We still have a lot of the problems we had when we developed Main Street Rogers," Wolf said, "but people continue to understand the value of downtown."

Rogers continues to grow west along busy Interstate 540 with hotels, restaurants and shopping venues being built at a record pace. But Wolf looks at the growth as just part of a piece of the puzzle that complements the downtown to make a great city.

Rogers is one of 17 Arkansas towns participating in Main Street Arkansas. For more information about the program, call (479) 936-5487 or visit www.mainstreetrogers.com. For information about the statewide program, call (501) 324-9880 or visit www.arkansaspreservation.org/mainstreet/.

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Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, (501) 682-7606
E-mail: info@arkansas.com

May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"

Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, 501-682-7606
E-mail: info@arkansas.com

May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"