Beyond the Divide Closes Shop in Little Rock, But Organizers Are 90% of the Way to a Permanent Reopening
Beyond the Divide Closes Shop in Little Rock, But Organizers Are 90% of the Way to a Permanent Reopening For the past few months, the Historic West 9th Street Corridor in downtown Little Rock has felt a little bit more like its historic self. Step by step, local organizers, visionaries, and eager entrepreneurs have been breathing life back into a neighborhood that was once the undisputed beating heart of Black economic wealth, culture, and community in the capital city. Through an innovative, tactical urbanism demonstration initiative called Beyond the Divide , the corridor was temporarily reactivated into a bustling marketplace. By converting leased shipping containers into vibrant, fully functional pop-up storefronts, the project gave nearly 20 local business owners a stage to launch operations, test brick-and-mortar concepts, and connect directly with the community. As planned from its inception, the initial operational run wrapped up at the end of June. But if project ...