“We are a small rural community located in a great proximity to big city entertainment areas and features,” Mayor Brick shares. However, this quaint city is also experiencing growth, as it welcomes new housing, industry, and retail establishments.“Marion has tripled in population in the last 20 years, and we have seen a steady increase in housing,” she continues. “We do tend to lag a little bit with a commercial focus mainly due to our proximity to a big city, but we have a small town atmosphere, safe and easy to maneuver in the town, but close to anything your heart desires, across the Mississippi River.” This favorable location has become even more valuable in recent years, as people seek a more relaxed quality of life with easy access to employment and amenities. “As the city of Memphis increases their major employers, we definitely see an uptick, because people will live here and the cost of living is lower in the state of Arkansas than it is in the city of Memphis,” Mayor Brick adds. ATTRACTING DINING AND RETAIL As Marion welcomes growth, efforts are focused on strengthening retail, restaurant, and hospitality offerings. The city has partnered with Ricky Hayes of Retail Attractions, to help bring in new establishments. Beth Wilson, Director of Economic Development shares, “We want to get our name out there that even though we’re close to Memphis and Jonesboro, we still have a large community and communities around us that could benefit with some retail here.” Wilson notes that an amendment regarding dry cities and counties has already helped make the community more attractive to restaurants. “The legislation passed a new amendment to allow the restaurants to come to city council and apply to be a private club,” she relays. “That eliminates the year-long waiting time. We are really pushing that because that has been a hindrance for some of our full service restaurants to come to Marion. So, we’re really getting that out and promoting that we’re open, and ready for business.” One success story is Scooters Coffee, currently 249 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 09 MARION, AR
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