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Metro Partnership outlines Majestic project prospects, workforce push; uptown mall, library plans remain unsettled
Summary
Gary Traubman of the Greater Hot Springs Chamber and Metro Partnership briefed the board on business prospect visits, workforce events and continuing work on the Majestic site; he and board members said a library proposal and another developer may present competing or complementary plans by mid-summer but no formal proposal yet.
Gary Traubman, president and CEO of the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce and Hot Springs Metro Partnership, gave the board an economic development update at an agenda-review meeting ahead of the May 20 session, highlighting workforce initiatives, prospect visits and continuing work on the Majestic site.
Traubman told the board the Majestic Committee has been meeting with an out-of-state prospect and with Oak Lawn representatives about prospective uses of the Majestic property. “We were back in school at Lakeside with the eleventh and twelfth graders,” Traubman said, stressing local workforce outreach. He highlighted the chamber’s “draft day” event, which he said included 18 schools, a record 61 companies and more than 1,200 students over the multi‑year effort to connect career‑technical students with local employers.
Board discussion centered on the Uptown Mall and Majestic Village concepts and a separate library proposal that has been reported as a possible use of the Majestic site. Director Webb asked when a side‑by‑side comparison of proposals might be available. Traubman said staff had pushed for an early June target to present competing concepts but that July 1 was a more likely date: “They are moving quickly. They’re doing renderings of their own… I wouldn’t even discount a meeting between the two parties and see if there’s a mutual fit there, because I would remind you there is 5.7 acres behind the property.” He emphasized outreach and due diligence by the prospective developer, including meetings with Oak Lawn and local business owners.
Traubman also briefed the board on other economic activity: site visits with technology firms (Ryder Technical Solutions and FiberPro), hosting visitors from the Federal Reserve and media coverage opportunities. He noted SJR 15, a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow TIF and TID funding at the ballot, and said any state‑level change would not appear on the ballot until November 2026.
No formal board action was taken at the agenda review; staff said these topics will be part of ongoing discussions and that formal proposals, if received, will be presented to the board for consideration.
