Helena Harbor in Phillips County Markets Flood-Protected Industrial Sites and Slackwater Port

Helena Harbor, the Helena-West Helena / Phillips County port and industrial complex, is actively marketing flood-protected industrial sites and a slackwater harbor on the Mississippi River, offering a package of river, rail, road and air links that could shape local economic development.

The complex is owned and managed by the Helena-West Helena/Phillips County Port Authority and includes three mapped sections of industrial land. Helena Harbor Industrial Park sits off Arkansas State Highway 20, six miles south of the city of Helena, and is bounded by farmland to the north, the Mississippi River to the east and south, and State Highway 20 to the west. The materials describe Helena Harbor as having "two and one‑fourth miles of a nine‑foot wide channel with a turning basin and fleeting space, just off the Mississippi River." The site is protected by the main levee, and barge docking is available directly adjacent to the sites.

Rail and road connections are emphasized. The Helena/West Helena Industrial Park is adjacent to State Highway 242, which connects with U.S. 49 less than one mile away, and is served by the Arkansas Midland Railroad. The Park materials also state that rail is in place in other park parcels. For air access, Thompson-Robbins Field, located just minutes northwest of Helena/West Helena, offers more than 100 acres of industrial sites immediately adjacent to the taxiways.

On-site infrastructure varies by parcel. Helena Harbor Park lists a Woodruff Electric Company substation, a city 16-inch water main on site, a planned one million-gallon water tank to be constructed in the park, a 10" 800 PSI gas line, rail and a 60 ton crane. The Helena/West Helena Industrial Park lists natural gas by CenterPoint Energy and electricity by Woodruff Electric with all utilities in place. Thompson-Robbins Field lists CenterPoint Energy for natural gas and Entergy for electricity. The materials note the site is located in an area eligible for federal New Market Tax Credits and state sales tax in Arkansas is 6.5 percent; specific manufacturer exemptions and property tax figures are referenced but not detailed in the materials.

Local impact hinges on turning largely farmed, sparsely populated land into industrial activity. The Port Authority pitches river-access logistics, barge fleeting, rail-served lots and air-adjacent acreage as assets that could attract manufacturers, terminals or logistics operators to Phillips County. Practical follow-ups include clarifying navigational limits implied by the channel description, the timeline and funding for the one million-gallon tank, the availability and ownership of the 60 ton crane, and parcel-level utility service boundaries.

For businesses or site inquiries, contact John C. Edwards, Economic Development Director, at 870-338-6444 (office) or 501-680-5248 (mobile), or by email at jedwards@helenaharbor.com or johnedwardsoffice@gmail.com. Anne Christine Fuller is listed as a board contact at 870-338-6444 and anne.christinebennett@gmail.com. Property listing metadata shows the site listing was last updated 10/24/2025 10:24:24 AM; materials carry a copyright line of © 2026 Helena Harbor & Phillips County Economic Development.

Entergy Corporation and its subsidiaries, including Entergy Services, LLC, Entergy Arkansas, LLC, Entergy Louisiana, LLC., Entergy Mississippi, LLC, Entergy New Orleans, LLC, Entergy Texas, Inc., (collectively, the "Entergy Companies") are not licensed to market any real property.

What comes next for Phillips County is whether private tenants and public investment follow the port authority's pitch: confirm infrastructure details, pursue targeted incentives, and align workforce and training to convert farmed acres into river‑linked industrial jobs.