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A downtown Little Rock plaza has been upgraded with a new shade structure, fountain and seating areas.
The renovation of the B. Finley Vinson Plaza in Little Rock, located at the intersection of West Markham Street and South Spring Street, was a project of the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau, the city’s destination marketing entity.
The space is named for a former Little Rock businessman and civic leader who died in 2006.
The plaza occupies a prominent spot near the Markham Street entrance to the Robinson Center and the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, near other attractions on the downtown corridor that lead up to the William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum.
Officials at the visitors bureau hope the newly renovated plaza can host live music and community events.
Gina Gemberling, the head of the visitors bureau, told attendees at a ribbon-cutting Monday that the project is “part of a larger vision outlined in our 10-year tourism master plan to create welcoming spaces that inspire people to gather, connect and experience Little Rock.”
Renovations began in December 2024. Officials worked with partners at WER Architects, Jones Development Co. and the Ecological Design Group, according to Gemberling.
Attendees stood in what Mayor Frank Scott Jr. described as “the true gathering gateway into downtown and the River Market.”
Gathering places, whether they are enjoyed by younger people or seniors, “create potential for a city,” Scott said, adding that he looked forward to having a mimosa or reading a book at the plaza.
Situated behind the officials during Monday’s event were a pair of living statue performers standing on pedestals atop newly installed artificial turf.
City officials are eyeing other projects meant to attract people to a more lively downtown core.
An overhaul of Ottenheimer Market Hall, the food court that anchors the River Market District, is expected to begin soon.
Officials also aspire to build a new downtown park on land freed up by the 30 Crossing highway project, although fulfilling that vision could take years and tens of millions of dollars.
“Places like this are what help personify a city,” said Nick Roye, the chairman of the Little Rock Advertising and Promotion Commission, which oversees the visitors bureau.
The renovated plaza will open up new “activation opportunities” tied to downtown attractions like the Robinson Center and the Old State House while also helping to create a new pathway to Riverfront Park, Roye said.
Joseph Flaherty
Joseph Flaherty covers the city of Little Rock for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. A graduate of Middlebury College and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, he has worked for the newspaper since 2020.
