Business World |
April 2015
86
onto the shoulders of Mayor Mark Stodola,
a lawyer by profession and a Little Rock resi-
dent since 1974. Over the course of his long
career, Stodola has earned experience work-
ing alongside Bill Clinton and as president
of the city’s state wide preservation organiza-
tion. Going into his third term, Stodola un-
derstood and accepted that changes to Little
Rock were necessary – and it all began with
the downtown core.
“I always had an appreciation for downtowns
that have had a renaissance in one fashion
or another,” he said. “I like downtowns that
have taken the existing built environment
and fabric and figured out a way to make
them vibrant, alive and part of the 21st cen-
tury.”
“In Little Rock, the Clinton Library opened
in the east end of the downtown area along
the river and for 15 years the river market
area was thriving,” he continued. “Very ex-
pensive renovated old warehouses, high rise
