A part of the Streetscape project in downtown Pine Bluff calls for a pedestrian crossing over the Union Pacific tracks in the 400 block of Main Street.
On Monday, the Pine Bluff City Council approved two resolutions to make that happen.
One of the two agreements is with the Arkansas Department of Transportation and the second is with Union Pacific Railroad.
Council member Bruce Lockett explained the legislation to Deltaplex News.
The agreement between the city and the state shows that Pine Bluff will be receiving $298,000 for the project and the agreement with the railroad fixes the total cost of the project as $343,451.
Larry Matthews, who heads the city’s Economic and Community Department, said that work on the second phase of the Streetscape Project is nearing completion. He said the project is expected to be completed within about 60 days and once that is completed the railroad will come in and do their work.
Also at the meeting it was announced that the Economic and Community Development Department has received a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Grant totaling $820,261.
The money is designated to help people who are or at risk of becoming homeless, fleeing from domestic violence or sexual assault or the threat of human trafficking.
According to a resolution approved by the City Council, ECD (Economic and Community Development) will use the money to “acquire and rehabilitate existing housing units that will permit qualified persons to stay in the units up to one year”.
