FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Advocates and community members working to create a Historic Black District in Fayetteville are now just one step closer.
During a Fayetteville City Council meeting on Feb. 20, the council voted unanimously to allow Mayor Lionel Jordan to sign a petition, agreeing that the Yvonne Richardson Community Center and all city buildings in the boundaries would be included within the Black Historic District, which has been in talks since July.
"Tonight, we are bringing back up to the top, a tabled issue from a couple of weeks ago, where we were seeking a signature from the city for property that is owned in the outlined historic district" said Emma Willis, a consultant for the project. "That process requires that we seek a majority in terms of signatures from property owners in the area. It is some 708 parcels that are included within that historic district outline. And so, we made it a point to come before the city as a property owner."
Now, NWA Black Heritage, the group behind the project, will continue to collect signatures from nearby property owners in favor of the project. One of the state requirements that must be met in order to establish a historic district is obtaining property owners' approval. The majority of property owners within the district must sign a petition agreeing their property can be included in the historic district.
This now outlines what is needed to create a historic district in the city.
"This is setting the precedent, we will be able to look at future preservation efforts and actually have a clear path forward," Willis said. "So, the citizens feel empowered, and anybody else feels empowered to be able to come before to city and actually do the work."
The new district will encompass some of these by going from 15th Street up to Spring Street. It will also extend to Rock Street and College Avenue.
Councilmember D'Andre Jones has headed this project since the beginning and said this is one step to help get things moving forward.
"It's good to know that there hasn't been any pushback from any of the residents in Fayetteville. Everyone has been super excited and very open and looking forward to seeing the black Historic District become a reality in South Fayetteville," Jones said. "Fayetteville has always been on the front lines as it relates to equity, inclusion and making sure that we are righting the wrongs and that we are looking at opportunities to lift all of our communities."
The number of signatures the group has to take to the state is not confirmed yet. Willis said they plan to take a packet to city council in May with all signatures collected for the council to consider.
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