HomeMy WebLinkAboutHDC2001-008 Curran Hall Objectives2
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CURRAN HALL OBJECTIVES
Arkansas' capitol city is fortunate to have citizens who realize the historic value of many of our
older homes and buildings. Part of the charm of a great city is giving people the opportunity to
enjoy its history. There are very few early 19th Century buildings left in Little Rock. Those that
remain offer a glimpse of our city in its earliest years, and should be recognized for the treasures
they are. Curran Hall, built in 1843 at 615 E. Capitol Avenue, is one of the oldest structures in the
city and the state. We have an opportunity to preserve it in a way which restores the building and
puts it to good use.
An equal charm of a great city is experiencing its mystique, its warmth and its character. Little
Rock is a southern city; Little Rock is a southwestern city; Little Rock is a unique city; but all too
often visitors miss these characteristics for lack of direction.
Curran Hall is therefore planned as a welcome center providing visitor information on the entire
state to travelers on I-30.
Because of the importance of the historic structure and its location, just one-half block off Interstate
30 at the 6th Street exit in downtown Little Rock, the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau
plans renovation of Curran Hall for use as a combination visitor information center/historic home,
and mayor's reception hall. In addition, this property has significant historic plantings and as part
of the renovation these plantings would be identified and preserved.
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Robinson Center Statehouse Convention & Conference Center
Little Rock Advertising & Promotion Commission
Statehouse Plaza, P.O. Box 3232. Little Rock. Arkansas 72203 (501) 376-4781 (800) 844.4781 Fax (5011 374.2255
The central hallway permits access from both 6th Street and Capital Avenue (5th Street) and will
be used as the primary reception -information area. It will be staffed by trained personnel of the
Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau. The central hallway is flankbd on the east and west
sides by two sets of large rooms connected by large "drawing room" doors. One set of rooms will
be the multi -media tourist information center. The center will house (1) a continuous video/slide
presentation mid -Arkansas sites; (2) a computer lodging, restaurant, and entertainment reservation
station; and (3) individual information displays for recreation, entertainment, military sites, historic
structures and attractions. The other set of rooms will be separated by closed doors. One room
will house the Little Rock history room to relate the story of Curran Hall and highlights of the
history of Little Rock. It will provide a look at how Little Rock residents lived in the 1840's and
will interest visitors in remaining in Little.Rock and exploring city attractions. The history room
can be overseen by the Little Rock Museum Consortium to insure that the exhibits are authentic.
Volunteers dressed in period costumes can take people on a mini -tour of the house and learn about
the history of Little Rock. The history room will also serve as the mayor's reception hall. The
second room will house offices. Parking and modern restrooms will be constructed on the 6th
Street side where some outbuildings will remain to preserve the authenticity of the historic site.
Since the yard also holds special historic significance due to its garden plantings, a historic
plantings tour will be designed involving master gardeners, city parks and other appropriate
groups.
Parking can be accommodated by purchase of lots immediately behind the property, as well as
from an offer by the post office to allow some parking in their parking lot. An additional vacant lot
at 6th & Ferry Streets will complete the site. „
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A preliminary architect's renovation report, a preliminary furnishings estimate and an initial
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computer cost analysis, places the complete project cost at just over $844,000. To accomplish this
will require a combination of public/private grants, donation of considerable time and expertise by
various individuals in the historic preservation and tourism com*nunity, and plain hard work. This
is a project to show off Arkansas' capital city to visitors from all over the world.
The capital city has lots of visitors. In 1995, Little Rock had 454,700 convention visitors,
335,853 visitors at the Little Rock Zoo, over one million passengers through the Little Rock
National Airport and more than 249 million vehicles passing the 6th Street interchange on
Interstate 30.
By restoring this historic structure, we will be able to provide a valuable service to the traveling
public. Visitors who stop will probably stay in the area and spend money (a preliminary study
suggests at least 50,000 Curran Hall visitors annually), contributing to Arkansas' economy. The
capitol city will have a beautiful, historic location for receptions and official functions. And most
of all, we will be preserving a significant part of Little Rock's roots.
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