Entertainment District Now Open
From the very beginning, Heritage Community set sights on bringing new and exciting things to the Fort Smith and Barling area. Becoming the home to new businesses and new locations of local favorites against the backdrop of a living experience unlike any other is just scratching the surface of what we’ve accomplished in a short time. And we’re not slowing down...the entertainment district at Heritage is now open!
You may be familiar with entertainment districts (The River Market Entertainment District in Little Rock, for example), but let’s talk specifics for a moment. According to Arkansas Senate Bill 492, a designated entertainment district is a contiguous area located in a part of a city or municipality that is commercially zoned or is mainly used as a commercial zone.
These districts may contain restaurants, hospitality establishments, galleries, theaters, music venues, taprooms, etc., and can be established permanently or temporarily. Per the Barling ordinance, within an entertainment district, patrons may carry open alcohol containers outdoors provided that “the beverage is contained in a designated District cup” and that the participating business “provides wristbands to verify that the individual has show valid identification that they are of legal age to consume alcoholic beverages.”
For our Merchants at The Village, this news is welcome and exciting! When asked for his thoughts on the ordinance establishing the entertainment district by a reporter from KNWA, Robert Lopez of Las Americas responded, “It’s going to be a game changer out here.” His sentiments are echoed by both business owners and community leaders alike. Revenue increases from the district are expected to provide a near immediate profit boost for Village Merchants while having lasting local and regional economic impact.
As of the publish date of this article, the Entertainment District at Heritage is open from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily. If you’d like to take advantage of all that the district has to offer, pop into one of our participating restaurants at The Village today!
For more information on entertainment districts in Arkansas, or to see the original ordinance as signed in June 2021 and a local news write-up on the entertainment district at Heritage, follow the links below!
www.nwahomepage.com/knwa/barling-now-has-an-entertainment-district/
www.barlingar.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Ord.-482-Ord.-Repealing-and-Replacing-Ord.-479.pdf
