Capitol Place plan

The Capitol Place plan involved a failed effort to create an underground plaza and City Parking Authority parking ramp with space for 1,200-1,800 cars at the corner of Main Street and Capitol Avenue in downtown Little Rock. The plan was originally endorsed by the Urban Progress Association on January 7, 1966, and authored by Noland Blass Jr. The Capitol Place Project Committee was chaired by Louis Rosen.

Capitol Place was expected to be anchored by Union National Bank, Worthen Bank and Trust, and Franke's Cafeteria. Total project cost to exceed $20 million with federal funding for several new buildings and the $5-$8 million parking garage. The project was compared at the time to a similar plaza-parking structure in Hartford, Connecticut, which one committee member called the "showplace of the East." Groundbreaking on the Capitol Place project was to have taken place on July 1, 1967, but disputes erupted over the use of Little Rock Waterworks surplus funds to back the venture and opposition from other parking lot operators. Union National Bank then withdrew from the project. The plan was put to rest on August 30, 1967.

References

• "Bank's Plans Lead to End of Efforts for Capitol Place," Arkansas Gazette, August 31, 1967.
• Julian E. Barnes, "Jimmy Moses: The Man Has a Vision to Give Life to Downtown Little Rock," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, June 9, 1996.
• "Buildings Acquired by LRHA Constructed Around 1900," Arkansas Gazette, April 24, 1966.
• "Capitol Place Backing Urged," Arkansas Gazette, May 18, 1967.
• "Capitol Place Sparks Dispute," Arkansas Gazette, June 1, 1967.
• Bill Lewis, "Novel Underground Parking is Proposed for Downtown," Arkansas Gazette, January 8, 1966.
• "Text of Memorandum by Raymond Rebsamen," Arkansas Gazette, May 18, 1967.