The chair of the Little Rock Tech Park Authority told CU Times that it doesn't care whether banks or credit unions provide the financing for the community development project, and that Arkansas Federal Credit Union will be given a second chance to provide a loan for the project.

The $998 million, 93,000-member, Jacksonville, Ark.-based cooperative had been part of a coalition to provide $17.5 million to the project until a complaint from the Arkansas Bankers Association ended up forcing it out.

Mary Good, chair of the Tech Park Authority, laid out the project leaders' position on the matter in an email.

“The Tech Park has no preference for financing partners and were happy with the original list of potential providers,” Good wrote. “We had no input into the revised group and would welcome any group that provides for our needs and gets their proposal in on our timeline. If the credit union does not become part of this package, there will be other major opportunities down the line.”