Changes

Liquor became available in restaurants in January 2014.<ref name=pinevilleliquor>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20131022/NEWS01/310220008/Pineville|title=Jeff Matthews, Pineville restaurants to serve alcohol, just not right away: City Council still must make change official by ordinance, October 22, 2013|work=The Alexandria Town Talk|accessdate=October 22, 2013}}</ref> Fields claimed that allowing limited liquor sales, requested by area developers, would boost economic development, particularly along the riverfront.<ref name=pinevilleliquor/> According to Fields, members of the clergy, including city council member Nathan Martin of the Christian Challenge Worship Center in Pineville, joined the call for liquor sales: "We've had a lot of conversations with our religious community, and all of the ministers I have spoken with are favorable.".<ref name=alcohol>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20130516/NEWS01/305160022/House-committee-OKs-Pineville-alcohol-plan|author=Mike Hasten|title=House committee OKs Pineville alcohol plan|publisher=''The Alexandria Town Talk''|accessdate=May 16, 2013}}</ref>​

Liquor became available in restaurants in January 2014.<ref name=pinevilleliquor>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20131022/NEWS01/310220008/Pineville|title=Jeff Matthews, Pineville restaurants to serve alcohol, just not right away: City Council still must make change official by ordinance, October 22, 2013|work=The Alexandria Town Talk|accessdate=October 22, 2013}}</ref> Fields claimed that allowing limited liquor sales, requested by area developers, would boost economic development, particularly along the riverfront.<ref name=pinevilleliquor/> According to Fields, members of the clergy, including city council member Nathan Martin of the Christian Challenge Worship Center in Pineville, joined the call for liquor sales: "We've had a lot of conversations with our religious community, and all of the ministers I have spoken with are favorable.".<ref name=alcohol>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20130516/NEWS01/305160022/House-committee-OKs-Pineville-alcohol-plan|author=Mike Hasten|title=House committee OKs Pineville alcohol plan|publisher=''The Alexandria Town Talk''|accessdate=May 16, 2013}}</ref>​

Fields said that his success as an African American in the politics of predominantly white Pineville was the continued outgrowth from the election in 1974 of Lemon "Billy" Coleman Jr. (1935-2015), a Rapides Parish black educator who won a seat on the Pineville City Council from a heavily white district. Coleman sat on the council for twenty-four years and served a stint too as mayor pro tem. Fields said that the manner in which Coleman "carried himself, his character, his diplomacy, in a lot of ways, it gave me [the] opportunity [to serve as well]."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/story/news/local/2015/08/18/trailblazer-coleman--surely-missed/31924825/|title=Trailblazer Coleman will "surely be missed"|author=Jeff Matthews|date=August 20, 2015|publisher=''The Alexandria Town Talk'' |accessdate=January 8, 2016}}</ref> The Curtis-Coleman Memorial Bridge, the replacement for the O.K. Allen Bridge, is named for Lemon Coleman and the late state Representative Israel "Bo" Curtis (1932-2012), another African-American Democrat.​

Fields said that his success as an African American in the politics of predominantly white Pineville was the continued outgrowth from the election in 1974 of Lemon "Billy" Coleman Jr. (1935-2015), a Rapides Parish black educator who won a seat on the Pineville City Council from a heavily white district. Coleman sat on the council for twenty-four years and served a stint too as mayor pro tem. Fields said that the manner in which Coleman "carried himself, his character, his diplomacy, in a lot of ways, it gave me [the] opportunity [to serve as well]."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/story/news/local/2015/08/18/trailblazer-coleman--surely-missed/31924825/|title=Trailblazer Coleman will "surely be missed"|author=Jeff Matthews|date=August 20, 2015|publisher=''The Alexandria Town Talk'' |accessdate=January 8, 2016}}</ref> The Curtis-Coleman Memorial Bridge, the replacement for the O.K. Allen Bridge, is named for Lemon Coleman and the late state Representative Israel "Bo" Curtis (1932-2012), another African-American Democrat.

 

On April 25, 2016, in his "State of the City" address, Mayor Fields confirmed that Revolution Aluminum has purchased property for a plant in Pineville. He added that a railroad and an ammonia facility will locate at the former site of the International Paper Company mill. In setting up their operations, the three companies are expected to spend more than $1.5 billion and employ more than one thousand persons. Fields said that two new businesses will open on U.S. Highway 165 near the Claybrook Cottingham Expressway, a second site of the Alexandria restaurant, Quebedeaux's, and a Holiday Inn Express.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/story/news/2016/04/25/mayor-fields-optimistic-future-pineville/83494186/|title=Mayor Fields optimistic about future in Pineville: Movement of aluminum plant among the good news|publisher=''The Alexandria Town Talk'' |date=April 25, 2016|author=Jeff Matthews|accessdate=May 4, 2016}}</ref>​

On April 25, 2016, in his "State of the City" address, Mayor Fields confirmed that Revolution Aluminum has purchased property for a plant in Pineville. He added that a railroad and an ammonia facility will locate at the former site of the International Paper Company mill. In setting up their operations, the three companies are expected to spend more than $1.5 billion and employ more than one thousand persons. Fields said that two new businesses will open on U.S. Highway 165 near the Claybrook Cottingham Expressway, a second site of the Alexandria restaurant, Quebedeaux's, and a Holiday Inn Express.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/story/news/2016/04/25/mayor-fields-optimistic-future-pineville/83494186/|title=Mayor Fields optimistic about future in Pineville: Movement of aluminum plant among the good news|publisher=''The Alexandria Town Talk'' |date=April 25, 2016|author=Jeff Matthews|accessdate=May 4, 2016}}</ref>​