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Downtown Jonesboro Alliance reports growth from entertainment district and says there have been no related police incidents
Summary
Sarah Doss of the Downtown Jonesboro Alliance updated council on downtown projects — a one‑lane pilot on Main Street, a new bike plaza, a proposed hotel and amphitheater — and said the entertainment district has generated economic activity and, per JPD, no directly related police reports.
Sarah Doss, representing the Downtown Jonesboro Alliance, briefed the council on downtown initiatives and the entertainment district’s second anniversary, saying multiple private and public projects are underway and reporting a large 2025 investment total for downtown.
Doss listed current efforts: a six‑month pilot reducing Main Street to one lane (now two months into the pilot), a new bike plaza by the municipal building, proposed hotel and hospitality projects with bids out for a projected September construction start, and a park with an amphitheater targeted for spring 2027. She said downtown investment totaled $27,545,831.66 in 2025.
“What means the most to me is that we’ve had 0 incidents during the entertainment district hours. According to our police chief, in our almost 2 years of having an active district, we have had not a single police report that was directly related,” Doss told the council, crediting downtown businesses and Jonesboro Police Department for navigating the district’s learning curve.
Doss said the pilot lane change has received generally positive feedback from residents and business owners but noted one recurring complaint: some stakeholders prefer flipping the delivery lane to the opposite side of Main Street where the alley configuration may better accommodate deliveries. She cited specific business endorsements (quoted to council) for the pedestrian and safety benefits of the one‑lane configuration.
When asked how success is measured, Doss said individual businesses track items like wristbands and sales differently and the Alliance instead uses broader indicators: “We’ve looked at geofencing through AMP and seeing people lingering so much longer…overall downtown, especially at events.” She said the Alliance will distribute a survey to downtown residents, business owners and patrons and will use that feedback to decide the pilot’s future.
The presentation included mention of planned safety bollards, beautification efforts (hanging baskets, a new mural at Main and Monroe), and potential changes to district boundaries or hours.
What happens next: the Alliance will collect survey feedback, share metrics it can gather (and the limits of business POS/wristband data), and continue coordination with city staff on any proposed boundary or hours changes.
