Easy On-Line University District Survey

Broadmoor Residents – Please take this very short survey for the University District.  A few of the questions do not relate to Broadmoor and you can leave those blank.

 

There is a link for the survey for websites and a link for emails.  Here are the two links:

           http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GC6GH32

Neighborhood Board Meeting Thursday

The Broadmoor POA Board will meet on Thursday, October 6 at 7:00pm in the clubhouse at 19 1/2 Belmont.

All are welcome to attend.

Little Rock Voters Approve Sales Tax

Little Rock City Tax Increase Approved

The city-wide special election to increase our sales tax by 1 cent passed:   5/8 of the 1-cent sales tax will go towards city operations and  3/8 of the 1-cent sales tax will go to capital projects.  The new sales tax will begin to be collected in 3 months. 

With the increased funding for the city's operation, city officials promise to add more policemen, firemen and code officers.  Many public works projects were promised to help restore/repair the city's infrastructure, streets, potholes, parks, drainage and more.  The Mayor, City Director and the City Manager all promised to have meetings by Wards to prioritize the projects in each Ward.

The Capital Projects planned include a high-tech research park in the 12th Street corridor and/or University District south of I-630, expansion of the River Port industrial park, and establishment of an economic development fund to attract new business to our city.

What does this mean for the Broadmoor Neighborhood?

The Broadmoor Property Owner’s Association needs to make our needs and wishes known clearly to our city government. The BPOA needs to have a large number of members at every city meeting that relates to spending these new tax dollars.  Your neighborhood should have representation on the board that makes decisions for the high-tech research park, since it will be in our neighborhood or adjoining it.

What can you do?   

Look around your area of the neighborhood and make notes of what is needed.  Email  the items that you know need to be corrected to mayor@littlerock.org, board@littlerock.org, and citymanager@littlerock.org.

Post these same things to your Facebook page and all your social media connections. This way we have a complete list of items for which to hold the city accountable.  Call the Mayor, City Board of Directors and City Manager at 371-4510 and tell them what is needed to improve our area.

Every member needs to email the Mayor (mayor@littlerock.org), City Board of Directors (board@littlerock.org) and City Manager (citymanager@littlerock.org) and tell them that our neighborhood needs to have a representative on the high-tech research park governing body.  Don't accept that the appointments have already been done, ask why we were not included.  Call the Mayor, City Board of Directors and City Manager (371-4510) and demand that we have a voice in the high-tech research park.

Attend YOUR neighborhood association's meetings, go to City meetings, send those emails, make that phone call!  Together we can raise our voices and take charge of our area of the city and insure that we benefit from the funds raised by the increased sales tax!

PRE-REGISTRATION is now open for the Fall Wellness Fair Sept. 15, 16 & 17

PRE-REGISTRATION is now open for the Fall Wellness Fair Sept. 15, 16 & 17.

To receive your FREE 1 Year UALR Gym Membership you MUST:

PRE-REGISTER and ATTEND the Fall Wellness Fair held on Sept. 15, 16 & 17.

To PRE-REGISTER, contact Janea Synder:

Email - udresidents@gmail.com

or

Call - 501-952-2311

New information on UALR gym membership

PRE - registration does not begin until September 1  - Mark your Calendars 

 

The due to the large number of responses to the UALR Fitness Center Membership, made possible by the Growing Healthy Communities grant, in order to have enough staff available PRE-REGISTRATION is REQUIRED for the Fall Wellness Fair Sept. 15, 16 & 17.

To PRE-REGISTER, contact Janea Synder:

Email - udresidents@gmail.com

or

Call - 501-952-2311

To receive your FREE 1 Year UALR Gym Membership you MUST:

PRE-REGISTER and ATTEND the Fall Wellness Fair held on Sept. 15, 16 & 17.

 

You must bring proof of residence and a photo I.D. the day that you attend the wellness fair.

Free gym memberships are available to any University District Resident 16 years old or older.

 

 Please share this with all of your neighbors!

 

To Access the UALR Fitness Center….spread the news please

The Healthy Communities Project Grant will allow University District residents to get free memberships to the UALR Donaghey Fitness Center.

To qualify you must live in the University District (everyone who lives in Broadmoor qualifies)  and attend the upcoming Healthy Communities Project Health Fair, you can receive a FREE membership to the Donaghey Fitness Center at UALR.  All of the facilities at the Donaghey Fitness Center will be available; aerobics classes, pool, lockers, exercise machines, treadmills, indoor track, racquetball courts and more.

• Free one (1) year membership to the Donaghey Fitness Center at UALR.
• Healthy Communities Project Health Fair will be September 15, 16 & 17.
• The Health Fair will be the ONLY dates that a UD resident will be able to sign-up for using the Donaghey Fitness Center.
• Failure to attend the Health Fair results in that resident NOT being allowed to use the Donaghey Fitness Center under this program.
• The Health Fair will have typical health fair activities; blood pressure taking, body fat index taken, nurses, etc.
• Residents will be expected to participate in the Health Fair, but not taking part in a health assessment can be waived on a case by case basis and the resident will/may still be able to sign-up for the Donaghey Fitness Center.
• ID cards will be issued and orientation of the Donaghey Fitness Center will be done at the Health Fair.
• More details will be posted when they are shared, LOOK FOR UPDATES!

Another benefit for living in one of the best neighborhoods and areas of the city, Broadmoor and the University District!!!

What is the “Research Park” you may be hearing about?

In recent news, the potential benefit of a research park to our neighborhood has been criticized. What is it, and how will it be good for Broadmoor? Here are some answers.

As you may be aware, volunteers from Broadmoor, other neighborhoods in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) area, and interested citizens of Little Rock, have worked for the past decade on strategic plans to enhance the quality of life around the UALR campus. This has been done through the University District Partnership.

One of the highlights of the plan is the construction of a research park to bring high-technology activity and jobs to the area. Here is how a 2007 report describes one potential site for the project:

14 University Research and Office Park

Figure 4-5 depicts the future redevelopment of the Broadmoor Shopping Center as a University Research and Office Park. Ideally located directly across University Avenue from UALR science buildings, including the new Computer Information Sciences (CIS) facility, this is considered an ideal location for technology firms, research, and related office space. Depicted in the diagram in Fig. 4-5 are two, three-story office structures totaling approximately 200,000 square feet, along with a 5 level 900 space parking structure. To expand and improve the efficiency of this development site the Lakeshore Drive connection to University Avenue should be closed and diverted to W. 32nd Street, allowing a consolidation with the triangular property at the northwest corner of the W. 32nd Street / University Avenue intersection. 

Page 4-19 of http://ualr.edu/universitydistrict/uploads/2008/10/Key_Revitalization_Projects.pdf

Bringing high-technology activity and jobs to the University District is a priority for our efforts.

The Arkansas General Assembly passed a law allowing for the creation of an entity to handle financing, construction, and operation of a research park. This legislation was a result of hard work of University District effort participants.

Since 2007, other potential sites for the park have been explored, so it probably will not be placed at the site outlined in that year’s strategic planning documents. The plan now is to place the park more central to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, UALR, and other institutions in and near the University District. However, the park would remain within the District’s boundaries and would greatly benefit our efforts to improve the area.

Other University District efforts take the park into account. Based on the revolutionary Harlem Children’s Zone, the University District has also initiated the Promise Neighborhood Program. The research park fits into this effort to encourage children and parents in the District to succeed in their educational efforts. See page 5 of this document on the Promise Neighborhood for information on how the research park will benefit Broadmoor and the surrounding University District.

When thinking about the potential to finance a Research Park in the University District, please consider the history and purpose of the park and the benefits to you as a resident of the District when you hear the arguments of those who are always against change and who are no-shows in the quiet, day-to-day volunteer work that leads to positive activity in our city.