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Friends,
Nineteen new firefighters joined the Little Rock Fire Department last week, following a rigorous six-month recruit class at the Little Rock Fire Training Academy. This group of firefighters joins an exemplary team that helps support our priority commitment to public safety in Arkansas’s capital city.
We appreciate the new recruits as well as the veteran firefighters whose dedication and sacrifice represent the real strength of our City. During their training, recruits received certification as emergency medical technicians and completed required coursework in firefighting, hazardous materials awareness, operations, and wildland firefighting.
Because we put our public safety needs first, we are providing our firefighters with the tools for success. This was the inaugural recruit class to have the opportunity to utilize LRFD’s new state-of-the-art burn building, which allows firefighters to obtain real-life fire experience in a safe and controlled environment. This year, we have set aside an additional $2.5 million to pay for renovations and repairs at our fire stations. We added five new fire trucks in 2025, and we are expecting eight more in 2026. In addition, Love Your Firefighters, led by City Directors Capi Peck and Joan Adcock, is a fundraising initiative where residents can make tax-deductible contributions to pay for furniture, equipment and supplies at our 22 fire stations.
These are just a few of the ways we are ensuring these new firefighters and all of LRFD have the equipment, tools, and resources they need to serve our City.
I appreciate you!
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| Making Progress on Downtown Master Plan |
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| On Sunday, tens of thousands of residents and guests stopped by the planned 30 Crossing Park in the heart of Downtown’s River Market District to participate in the 14th annual Downtown Food Truck Festival. While walking the grounds of the 18-acre park, I am certain many envisioned a bright and transformative future for the park and all of Downtown.
The City of Little Rock is currently working with Sasaki — the same internationally recognized design firm that crafted our Downtown Master Plan — to create a bold and visionary plan for the new 30 Crossing Park. Representatives from Sasaki were at the Downtown Food Truck Festival to showcase renderings of proposed designs and get public feedback about possible park amenities. If you did not make it to the festival or Sasaki’s open house this past weekend, we still invite your comments. Take the survey here.
The future 30 Crossing Park is one key part of the Downtown Master Plan, our blueprint for re-imaging our vibrant urban core. We are making significant progress toward implementation of our first-ever Downtown Master Plan, and we shared updates on that progress at a news conference last week.
We appreciate the Little Rock Board of Directors, Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Downtown Little Rock Partnership, and the business owners, residents and community partners all working to strengthen Downtown Little Rock. Through impactful projects like the Central Arkansas Library System’s $31 million Main Library renovation to initiatives like our Downtown Ambassadors, we are making game-changing investments in Downtown.
Additional improvements include a $10 million renovation of the Statehouse Convention Center, planned renovations of the River Market Hall, changes to Cumberland Street and to Capitol Avenue west of Broadway to emphasize cyclists and pedestrian safety, and renovations to a prime outdoor gathering spot, Finley Vinson Plaza near the Robinson Center.
We are also working to modernize the City’s Urban Use Ordinance, and investing $3 million into the Phase II expansion of the Little Rock Tech Park.
With more work still to do, we will keep up the momentum with 30 Crossing Park, Downtown and all areas of our City. |
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| Support Progress in Little Rockby Joining Board or Commission |
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| With our increased emphasis this year on engagement and going Back to the Basics, we are encouraging all Little Rock residents, whether in Hanger Hill or the Heights, Chenal or College Station, to get more involved in City government.
The best way to do just that is through service on one of our boards and commissions. Little Rock’s three dozen boards and commissions advise me and the Board of Directors on policy, making recommendations that often lead to progress and positive change in our community.
We are currently accepting applications for a number of boards and commissions. Friday, Sept. 26, is the deadline for submitting an application to serve. As Mayor, I make appointments with confirmation from the Board of Directors.
Though some appointments require professional certifications or residency in a specific ward, many positions are open to anyone who is a resident of Little Rock and is registered to vote.
Appointees are asked to attend all meetings, and share our common interest in making Little Rock the best place to live, work and play.
Currently, positions are available on 21 different boards or commissions. Application requirements vary, so please check the City’s website for more details. |
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| Save the Datefor National Night Out |
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| Every year, we gather to celebrate the best of our community and spend time with our friends and neighbors during National Night Out. In 2025, National Night Out is Tuesday, Oct. 7.
The City of Little Rock is working to bring the community together at four different locations: MacArthur Park, War Memorial Park, Southwest Community Center and West Central Community Center.
Neighborhood groups across the City will be participating at one of those four locations, and other groups may be hosting their own events. Check with your neighborhood associations for details.
Events at MacArthur, War Memorial, Southwest and West Central start at 5 p.m. We will have food, fun, and prizes, with City team members present to answer questions and offer more information about City resources.
See you on Tuesday, Oct. 7, for National Night Out!
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| No Board Meeting This Week
The Little Rock Board of Directors will not meet this week. The next time the Board convenes will be Tuesday, Sept. 30, to set the agenda for its next regularly scheduled meeting.
As a reminder, regular Board meetings are at 6 p.m. Tuesdays on the first and third Tuesday of the month (with some exceptions, like the first meeting in October, because of National Night Out on the first Tuesday). In weeks before regular meetings, Board members convene to set the following week’s agenda at 4 p.m. on Tuesdays. So, in months with five Tuesdays, the Board does not meet on the fourth Tuesday of that month.
A complete Board calendar of all meetings scheduled for the remainder of the year is on the City’s website. |
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| | | Here’s a quick look at what’s going on this week in the City of Little Rock:
Wednesday, Sept. 24: The Little Rock Sustainability Commission meets at 3 p.m. in the community room at Centennial Bank, 1301 Rebsamen Park Road. The Sustainability Commission promotes environmental and economic health in the City of Little Rock through its actions and recommendations.
Thursday, Sept. 25: Little Rock’s City Beautiful Commission will meet at 4 p.m. in the Board Room at City Hall, 500 W. Markham St. This commission handles requests for variances from the City’s landscape ordinance and considers other beautification-related issues.
Saturday, Sept. 27: Join us at 9 a.m. at Hindman Park in celebration of National Public Lands Day, an event where volunteers nationwide gather to protect and support public lands like parks. Little Rock volunteers will pick up limbs and trash, paint benches, and cut back overgrowth in Hindman Park, 7500 Hindman Park Way. Work starts at 9 a.m., and lunch will be provided. Click here to register to volunteer. |
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