Downtown survey: Texarkana residents want events and restaurants, but point to vacant, rundown buildings

TEXARKANA, Texas — More than 400 people told Main Street Texarkana they want more festivals, live music and places to eat downtown, while identifying deteriorating buildings, vacancies and homelessness as the district’s biggest problems, according to results of the organization’s 2026 Community Survey released Wednesday.

The survey drew 415 responses. Main Street Texarkana said the results will help guide planning and revitalization work in the historic district.

“The community’s voice is essential as we plan for the next chapter of downtown,” Executive Director Ina McDowell said in a news release. “These results show a deep appreciation for our historic downtown and a clear desire to see it grow as a vibrant destination.”

Who responded

The respondent pool skewed heavily toward regular downtown visitors and longtime residents. About 84% said they visit downtown regularly, while 12.5% work downtown, 5.8% own property or a business there and 4.8% live downtown.

Roughly 80% have been part of the Texarkana community for more than 10 years. Nearly half, 48.4%, said they feel most connected to Texarkana, Texas, while 31.6% said they feel connected to both sides equally and 18.8% chose Texarkana, Arkansas.

Weekly visitors made up the largest group at 44.8%, followed by monthly visitors at 26% and daily visitors at 18.1%. Most respondents live close by, with 60.7% saying the trip downtown takes five to 15 minutes and 19% saying it takes five minutes or less.

Nearly everyone arrives by car. About 63% drive with others and 62.9% drive alone, while 3.6% walk, 1.7% bike and 0.5% use public transportation.

Dining was by far the top reason for visiting, cited by 79.3% of respondents. Events followed at 55.4%, entertainment at 41.9% and socializing at 38.6%.

What people want

Asked what activities they would like to see more of, respondents chose events and festivals most often at 72.3%, followed by live music at 65.8%, family friendly activities at 62.7%, farmers markets at 62.4% and arts and cultural activities at 60.7%.

The business categories respondents most wanted to see added were casual dining at 67.7%, retail and boutique shops at 55.7%, family entertainment at 54.5%, coffee shops and bakeries at 45.3% and arts or music venues at 44.8%. A grocery store drew 34.9%.

When asked what would bring them downtown more often, 62.4% said more restaurants, 59.5% said more retail options, 53.7% said more events and 49.4% said a safer or cleaner environment. Better parking, often a focus of downtown debates, ranked near the bottom at 21.7%.

Three-quarters of respondents, 74.9%, said businesses are generally open when they want to visit.

What people see as problems

Building conditions topped the list of downtown issues. Buildings in need of repair were cited by 58.3% of respondents, and too many vacant buildings by 50.8%. A lack of businesses or destinations followed at 48.9%, homelessness or housing issues at 46.5% and not enough activity at 34.5%.

About 29% said downtown feels unsafe or that crime is a concern.

The open-ended questions produced the same split. Asked for one word describing what they like about downtown, 112 respondents used terms tied to history, architecture or nostalgia, and 53 used words such as potential, revitalization or growth. Another 21 pointed to community.

Asked what they dislike, 62 used words such as rundown or dilapidated, 59 said empty or vacant, 55 referenced crime, safety or the jail, 47 cited homelessness and 38 said there is not enough to do.

Downtown housing

Downtown residential development drew majority support but not unanimity. Of 407 people who answered, 59.7% said they would like to see more housing downtown and 40.3% said they would not.

Asked what would make living downtown more desirable, 54.9% chose a greater sense of safety, 48.4% chose more things to do, 43.9% chose more restaurants and shops, 42.4% chose a cleaner environment and 41.4% chose more green space.

Business owners

Twenty-seven respondents, about 7% of the total, said they own a downtown business. Among that group, 74.1% listed attracting customers as a top concern. Parking issues followed at 25.9%, competition at 18.5% and business hours challenges at 14.8%.

Reach and awareness

Nearly 95% of respondents said they are familiar with Main Street Texarkana, and 39.1% said they heard about the organization or the survey through its social media accounts. Only 21.4% said they receive the organization’s newsletter.

Among those who have attended a Main Street Texarkana event, 75.8% named the Main Street Christmas Parade, 50.7% named Downtown Live! and 40.2% named Oktoberfest on Main.

Respondents were spread across age groups, with the largest share, 23.6%, between 35 and 44. Employed full-time respondents made up 57.8% of the total, retirees 18.3% and self-employed people 16.1%.

Main Street Texarkana is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on economic development through historic preservation. The organization said a full summary of the results is available at mainstreettexarkana.org.