Main Street Fort Smith hosts the annual Invest Fort Smith Summit with the goal of helping local entrepreneurs fill more vacant buildings downtown.
FORT SMITH, AR — Over the years, Fort Smith's population has increased and many development projects have been undertaken to create a more vibrant city. With this in mind, the city wants more businesses to locate in the downtown area. That's why the nonprofit Main Street Fort Smith hosted its annual Investment Fort Smith Summit on Oct. 13.
“We're seeing a lot of beautification projects, we're seeing major development happening along the river, and we're looking forward to seeing more,” said Amanda Hager, executive director of Main Street Fort Smith. “We're seeing buildings fill up,” he says.
“We want current business owners looking to start or expand their businesses to really learn about the opportunities available in the city,” Hager added. “And I hope that maybe they want to open that business downtown.”
Wednesday's summit was attended by multiple stakeholders, including the commander of the 85th Fighter Group, the Fort Smith City Commissioner, health care and commercial real estate leaders, and economic development experts.
There were also representatives from the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith (UAFS). The summit supported young people by giving UAFS students the opportunity to present their business plans in front of a big opportunity.
“I'm here today to pitch something for next week's tournament, which will be competing in the Governor's Cup in April,” said Rayna Lamb, a senior at UAFS. “We're Titan Comfort Coaster, and we're trying to get our name out there so you can feel more relaxed while competing.”
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