LITTLE ROCK – State officials unveiled a Web site Thursday they hope will help lure businesses to Arkansas by providing information about hundreds of available Arkansas buildings and sites along with details about the surrounding areas.

Communities and economic development groups are able to customize the Arkansas Site Selection Center site and use it in conjunction with their own Web sites.

“It really takes the technology and takes us to the next level and allows community developers and economic developers across the state to be able to use this tool to their best advantage,” said Hugh McDonald, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas’, who unveiled the site along with Gov. Mike Beebe. “This is an investment we think will benefit many people throughout the state.”

The site lists more than 250 vacant buildings and more than 140 potential building sites.

Users can locate properties available for lease or purchase and generate detailed demographic and business data about the surrounding areas.

The unveiling comes days after the state made $50 million available to lure new businesses and help existing ones expand.

Beebe said he’s already eyeing potential businesses that could tap into the fund, but offered few specifics. Lawmakers funded the incentive program using a portion of the state’s surplus.

“We have prospects we’re working on every day, but nothing yet to announce,” Beebe told reporters. “We’re working all the time.”

The Web site was set up and is run by Entergy Arkansas’ economic development office. Entergy has about 684,000 customers in 63 counties in Arkansas.



On the Net:

Arkansas Site Selection Center: www.arkansassiteselection.com