Community Projects
Fiscal Year 2026
Steel Manufacturing Research at the Center for Advanced Materials and Steel Manufacturing (CAMSM)
Recipient: Arkansas State University System
Location: Lab Science West – South Caraway Rd, Jonesboro, Arkansas 72401
Amount of Request: $5,000,000
Details: The funding will be used to develop the Center for Advanced Materials and Steel Manufacturing (CAMSM) ‘s research capabilities, utilizing data analytics and artificial intelligence to analyze material design, efficient production processes, and enhance computational modeling.
Justification: The purpose of this project is to add additional opportunities for the Center for Advanced Materials and Steel Manufacturing (CAMSM) at Arkansas State University to support the needs of the steel industry in Mississippi County, Arkansas. The current expansion of Steel manufacturing in Mississippi County, Arkansas, is on track to cement Arkansas’s status as the number one steel-producing state in the nation, which, at this time, is exceedingly essential to the national security and economic well-being of the country.
Financial Disclosure and Certification
North Arkansas Regional Medical Center Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine
Recipient: North Arkansas Regional Medical Center
Location: 620 N. Main Street Harrison, AR 72601
Amount of Request: $337,546
Details: The funding will support North Arkansas Regional Medical Center (NARMC)’s purchase and installation of a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine for their radiology services to replace the existing MRI system, which is nearly 15 years old and nearing the end of its manufacturer-supported lifespan.
Justification: A new MRI machine is essential for sustaining and expanding critical access to diagnostic imaging for the more than 85,000 residents living in NARMC’s five-county, rural service area. An MRI machine is a noninvasive medical imaging tool that uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of almost every internal structure in the human body. An MRI machine is used to diagnose a wide range of conditions, such as tumors and strokes, and is also used to monitor how well a treatment is working or to assess the progression of a disease. This technology offers significantly improved image quality, faster scan times, and expanded diagnostic capabilities. The advanced software included in the new MRI machine will improve image clarity and reduce noise, leading to more accurate diagnoses and fewer repeat scans.
Financial Disclosure and Certification
TC-1 Transitional Mental Health Facility – Forrest City, Arkansas
Recipient: Arisa Health, Inc.
Location: 2400 S. 48th St. Springdale, AR 72764
Amount of Request: $460,000
Details: The funding will be used to construct a new, purpose-built TC-1 transitional mental health treatment facility in Forrest City, Arkansas, to offer secure, 24/7 residential treatment to clients diagnosed with serious mental illness who require intensive supervision, therapy, and long-term support.
Justification: The Arisa Health TC-1 Transitional Facility in Forrest City will provide a lifesaving, safety-promoting, community-stabilizing investment. It bridges a gap in Arkansas’s behavioral health system by providing a secure, therapeutic environment for individuals whose lives and conditions require it. The proposed Level 1 Transitional Care (TC) Unit is a highly structured residential program specifically designed for individuals with severe behavioral health conditions or complex mental health needs. This unit will provide the intensive treatment, structure, and supervision necessary to promote stability, reduce recidivism, and support successful reintegration into the community. It relieves pressure on law enforcement and medical providers, reduces taxpayer costs, and creates opportunities for clients to live with dignity, purpose, and safety.
Financial Disclosure and Certification
Mississippi County – North End Clean-Up/Eaker AFB
Recipient: Mississippi County
Location: 200 West Walnut, Blytheville, AR 72315
Amount of Request: $3,200,000
Details: This funding will be used by the Mississippi County government to remediate toxic chemicals, including PFOA and lead paint, in the dilapidated buildings still standing on a roughly 100-acre site on the former Eaker Air Force Base (AFB). This marks another phase in a larger redevelopment plan for the site, which will ultimately provide the area with affordable, stable, and new housing.
Justification: Eaker AFB underwent Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) in 1992. The federal government has not provided sufficient support to the community for cleaning up the base since its abandonment. The site is adjacent to the National Cold War Center and the Aeroplex, and the county is in need of affordable, new housing for the growing steel manufacturing industry. Mississippi County is the largest steel-producing county in America; however, continued economic growth depends on new housing stock for workers and their families. The continued growth of the steel industry in the U.S. has a significant economic impact on the entire nation.
Financial Disclosure and Certification
Future Interstate 57 (Walnut Ridge to Missouri State line)
Recipient: Arkansas Department of Transportation
Location: 10324 Interstate 30, Little Rock, Arkansas 72209
Amount of Request: $50,000,000
Details: The Arkansas Department of Transportation will be able to use this funding to complete construction of the remaining sections of Interstate 57 in Arkansas from Walnut Ridge to the Missouri state line. The project is detailed on the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) as Job 100512.
Justification: The addition of a four-lane highway in Arkansas that will seamlessly connect Little Rock, Arkansas, to Chicago, Illinois, will full Interstate designation throughout will attract businesses and other commercial interests to the region. It will also provide a direct link for freight and consumer movement through the south-central U.S. to the Midwest. By completing the 42-mile Arkansas section, historically disadvantaged communities in northeast Arkansas will receive economic benefits that could not otherwise be achieved.
Financial Disclosure and Certification
U.S. Highway 412 Improvements
Recipient: Arkansas Department of Transportation
Location: 10324 Interstate 30, Little Rock, Arkansas 72209
Amount of Request: $30,000,000
Details: The Arkansas Department of Transportation will utilize this funding to enhance U.S. Highway 412 in Boone, Fulton, and Marion Counties. Specifically, the money will go toward construction on 12 miles of passing lanes on various sections of the corridor.
Justification: U.S. Highway 412 is a nationally significant East/West corridor that goes from northeast New Mexico in the west and travels 1,130 miles to Columbia, Tennessee in the east. Congress designated U.S. Highway 412 from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Nashville, Tennessee, as Highway Priority Corridor 8. This corridor is part of the Arkansas Highway Commission’s Four-Lane Grid System, as well, which signifies its importance to the state. These passing lane improvements will increase safety, mobility, enhanced economic opportunities, and improved intermodal connectivity and reliability of the regional transportation system.
Financial Disclosure and Certification
Utility Infrastructure Power Substations, and Water Tank Improvement
Recipient: City of West Memphis, Arkansas
Location: 205 S. Redding Street, West Memphis, Arkansas, 71601
Amount of Request: $5,000,000
Details: The funding will be used by the City of West Memphis to construct a 60 MW electrical substation and a 1-million-gallon elevated water tank.
Justification: This development will increase utility system reliability, attract new private investment, create jobs, and enable the expansion of the City of West Memphis. Currently, utility infrastructure in Northeast West Memphis is overloaded and underperforming due to rapid commercial and residential expansion. The area is physically separated from the City’s central utility grid by Interstate 40 and Interstate 55 and the Union Pacific rail line, further exacerbating service delivery challenges. This infrastructure will provide the capacity needed to support significant economic expansion, including new housing, a proposed event center, and a future economic development expected to serve residents from Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi.
Financial Disclosure and Certification
Port Osceola Harbor Expansion
Recipient: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Memphis District)
Location: 167 North Main Street, Room B-202, Memphis, TN 38013
Amount of Request: $6,500,000
Details: The Memphis District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be able to use this funding to expand the inland waterway port at Osceola Harbor by 3,000 feet, from its current length of 6,600 feet to 9,600 feet.
Justification: Osceola Harbor is a vital hub for the regional economy, and in recent years, there has been a significant increase in barge traffic, primarily due to the burgeoning steel industry in the region. This growth, while beneficial for the local economy, has put a strain on the current harbor infrastructure. The explosive growth of the Osceola area, and that of greater Mississippi County, Arkansas, has led to major back-ups at the harbor as barge traffic is overwhelming the available mooring locations. With additional industrial operations set to open at the harbor, the need for a longer harbor is critical.
Financial Disclosure and Certification