Mark Stodola, the mayor of Little Rock, envisioned that the Main Street could become what he called a “Creative Corridor”—a place where arts and culture could anchor a vibrant, mixed-use place in the center of the city. Rather than rely on a typical retail base, the plan would include land uses for residences, tourism, and cultural arts. It was a strategic decision, since much of the surrounding downtown areas had already been undergoing economic revitalization. This Main Street project would be an extension of that larger process. As a way to ensure that artists could benefit from the revitalizing energy that they would bring with them, Stodola proposed the creation of affordable housing units for artists. The goal, he said, was to encourage a neighborhood structure “rooted in a mixed-use working and living environment.”