Annual Invest Fort Smith summit hosts community leaders encouraging downtown investment

FORT SMITH, Ark. — Over the years, Fort Smith has grown in population, taking on many development projects to create a more vibrant city. With this in mind, the city wants to see more businesses move into the downtown area. That’s why the nonprofit Main Street Fort Smith hosted the annual Invest Fort Smith Summit on Oct. 13. 

“We’re seeing lots of beautification projects. We’ve seen the massive development happening on the riverfront, and we see more of our buildings filling up,” says Amanda Hager, the Executive Director of Main Street Fort Smith.

“We want current business owners who are thinking about opening a new business or expanding their business to really learn about opportunities that are available for them within the city,” adds Hager. “And then hope that maybe they want to open that business in downtown.”

Multiple stakeholders were at Wednesday’s summit, including the commander of the 85th fighter group, the Fort Smith city director, leaders in healthcare, commercial real estate, and economic development experts. 

They also had representatives from the University of Arkansas Fort Smith (UAFS). The summit supported youth by giving UAFS students the opportunity to present their business plans ahead of the big opportunity.

“I was here today to pitch something for the competition I’m doing next week, which will line us up for the Governor’s Cup in April,” says Reyna Lamb, a senior at UAFS. “We are Titan Comfort Coaster. We are trying to get our name out there so we can feel more relaxed during the competition.”

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