Little Rock River Market District

The Little Rock River Market. Facing east on Bill Clinton Avenue. Photo by Phil Frana.

Interior view of the River Market. Photo by Phil Frana.

Exterior view of the River Market. Photo by Phil Frana.

The Little Rock River Market is a public food, shopping, and entertainment nexus in the heart of downtown Little Rock, Arkansas. The River Market was the brainchild of Little Rock developer Jimmy Moses who conceived the idea in the 1980s following a visit to the Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington.

About $1 billion of direct investment in the downtown district occurred between 1997 when the city was selected as the site of the Clinton Presidential Center and 2004 when the Clinton Library dedication ceremony took place. Said Little Rock City Manager Bruce Moore in 2004, "The presidential library has had a tremendous impact on our central core. It has totally revitalized downtown."

References

• Larry Copeland, "City Takes Cue from Comeback Kid: Clinton Library Breathes Life into Struggling Little Rock," USA Today, October 8, 2004.