- The Fort Smith Convention and Visitors Bureau moves from Miss Laura's to occupy the first two floors of the old Area Agency on Aging building.
The Fort Smith Convention and Visitor’s Bureau is moving to a new home and is asking the community to contribute to the mural.
The CVB has moved from its previous home at Miss Laura’s to a new facility inside the former Area Agency on Aging Building on Garrison Avenue, along with Tip Top Boots, located next door. The building originally was the First Federal Savings and Loan, constructed in 1961, and is easily identifiable with its turquoise panels and the diamond-shaped pattern along the roof.
The CVB will occupy the first floor, while the administrative offices will be on the second. The new home is expected to be public by mid-October or November.
“We’re still waiting for the automatic sliding doors, which will be a first for Garrison Avenue,” said Ashleigh Bachert, executive director of CVB.
To help decorate the inside of its new home, the CVB is asking the community to donate copies of photos that highlight the families and times in Fort Smith in the past 100 years. The pictures will be combined into a mural to display a much larger picture.
The wall will be about 12 to 15 feet long and 10 feet high. Bachert said they wanted to capitalize on Fort Smith's reputation for its multiple art galleries and Unexpected events. The CVB wants pictures of parents, grandparents, celebrations, “whatever you want people to connect with in Fort Smith.”
“We’re still toying around about what the larger picture will become to make it a welcoming sight for visitors,” Bachert said. “When I go out into the community, it has always been very welcoming, and we get a lot of feedback from others who have had the same experience. We want the visitors center to have that same feel.”
The CVB's home originally was in Miss Laura’s, a historic site and a former Fort Smith brothel. It’s one of four former brothels still serving as a landmark site in the United States.
Bachert said that the CVB's presence in the building has been fine, but it was time to make a change as Fort Smith is experiencing a renaissance. She said there was a need for a more conducive environment to talk to visitors and potential businesses looking to come to the Fort Smith area.
“It was a brilliant move at the time to house the bureau there, and it has been a great engagement and an icebreaker, but it’s not exactly family-friendly if you must explain to young kids what used to go on in the building,” Bachert said. “We wanted to create a welcoming place for all and be ADA compliant. We must show who we are as a community and put our best foot forward to attract businesses to Fort Smith.
“Miss Laura’s is still a unique piece of American history and part of Fort Smith’s history, and we want to be able to keep sharing that with those who want to see and learn about that part of our history.”
Looking at the big picture plays into the theme that has slowly crept into the CVB’s mission and vision.
“We often get wrapped up in our little bubble and complain about our city, but there’s a lot of great things about Fort Smith and other things that are happening,” Bachert said. “We hope that this project we’re doing with the mural will inspire people to get excited about our community again and how lucky we are and how great it is.”
Bachert has been the executive director for nearly a year and has been surprised by how quickly things are moving for Fort Smith.
“It’s been good," Bachert said. "There have been a lot of changes right away, and some that we weren’t expecting. Great things are happening, and the community has been phenomenal. I couldn’t ask for anything better.”
Bachert, who has a background in sports marketing, is excited about Fort Smith hosting the Great American Conference basketball tournament in March 2025. Northside and Southside high schools will serve as the host sites for the NCAA Division II colleges, including six from Arkansas and six from Oklahoma.
“This will give us a chance to show off Fort Smith but also give its citizens something to enjoy,” she said. “A lot of work is being done on that, and it’s a good direction for the city and something we can support.”
