The Board of Preserve Arkansas and the Arkansas Preservation Awards Selection Committee have chosen Indigo Blue Coffeehouse owner Mary Ann Lee for the 2018 Award for Excellence in Personal Projects: Commercial.
She will receive the award for the rehabilitation of the building for Indigo Blue Coffeehouse at 212 W. Barraque in downtown Pine Bluff, according to a news release.
The award will be presented at the Arkansas Preservation Awards Banquet scheduled for January 25, 2019, at the Albert Pike Memorial Temple at Little Rock.
“The building is already recognized as a historic site and is listed on the National Historic Register,” according to the release. “The building was purchased by Mary Ann Lee in 2013 and recently opened for business in June of this year.”
The city of Pine Bluff’s Community and Economic Department nominated Lee for the Excellence in Personal Projects category for the rehabilitation and preservation of her building.
Lee is a member of the Downtown Pine Bluff Historic Commission and has a degree in urban planning.
“I am thrilled to receive this recognition, not just for myself, but for Pine Bluff,” she said. “I invested my time and money in this project because I believe in Pine Bluff and as a citizen of this city, wanted to make a contribution to its renaissance.”
Lee also thanked Lori Walker and Sarah Price from the Economic and Community Development Department and developer Stuart Hee for their support of her nomination.
“The Mission of Preserve Arkansas is to ‘work to build stronger communities by reconnecting Arkansans to our heritage and empowering people to save and rehabilitate historic places,’” according to the release. “Each year Preserve Arkansas receives nominations of individuals, organizations, businesses, or public agencies from around the state who have completed preservation or rehabilitation projects within the last three years. There are several categories for nomination.”
Tickets to the awards banquet are available for purchase at PreserveArkansas.org or by calling 501.372.4757.
Details: Indigo Blue Coffeehouse, [email protected] or 870.210.4120.
