By Deseray McKinzy
The Pine Bluff Urban Renewal Agency, which was revived in 2017, focuses on gaining funds to create new space for housing and business development. The executive director, Maurice Taggart, further explained the background of the PBURA.
There are currently two primary projects that the agency is involved in. Relive Pine Bluff, a master plan that they partnered with Go Forward Pine Bluff on to redevelop downtown to improve economic conditions. The central city urban renewal plans objective is to redevelop areas in the central part of the city not including downtown. Taggart described his proactive approach to obtain properties through investments.
Taggart went on to explain the background of downtown Pine Bluff as it relates economically to the effects of the current downtown developments.
The PBURA recently partnered with the Pine Bluff Housing Authority with a goal to develop affordable housing in the downtown and central parts of the city. Taggart described this partnership, the key objectives that the Agency is focusing on for 2021, and those that are still to come.
The Pine Bluff Urban Renewal Agency plans to remove 100 underdeveloped buildings and areas to bring new developments this year.
