After being destroyed by fire in 2003 and sitting vacant for more than a year, the property at the corner of Oak and Chestnut Streets was purchased and developed by the Conway Downtown Partnership. The investment proved to be a wise move as longtime Conway retailer EM Jeans announced construction of a new $1.2 million flagship store.

The building will also house EM Jean’s new, professional men’s attire store, the West Wing, while the remaining 1,500 sq. ft. will be ready for an additional retail or restaurant business. As one of the nation’s premiere purveyors of high-end denim, EM Jeans will bring thousands of new shoppers to downtown Conway.

“In our work with cities and towns throughout the country, the transition from plan to implementation tends to be problematic. Volunteer citizen activists, no matter how dedicated, simply are not able to sustain the energy or dedicate the time necessary to bring revitalization plans to fruition. Even champion volunteers tend to burn out. We truly believe the success of Conway’s downtown revitalization efforts will be dependent on the continuing presence of the Conway Downtown Partnership.”

Sallie Hood and Ron Sakal