Message from the Mayor

Park Improvements

You may be noticing some changes to our city’s parks. Thanks to a refinancing of existing parks bonds, these improvements amounting to $6.75 million have come with no increase in taxes and no increase to our yearly payment on these bonds and can only be spent on capital improvements to our parks. Highlighted below are the details of these projects and their estimated completion dates. These are important quality of life improvements. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I hope you’ll watch these developments with interest and enjoy our improved parks as these projects are completed.

In Riverfront Park, a new plaza was opened in May to highlight our city’s namesake, La Petite Roche Project, near the Junction Bridge. The plaza includes a series of plaques that detail the history of our city and provide information and identification of the “Little Rock” and explorer Bernard de la Harpe.

We will be adding playgrounds at Otter Creek Park and at the Southwest Community Center with an estimated completion of October 29. The Animal Village near S. University Ave. will be adding a new dog park, which will be a welcomed addition to our existing dog park in Murray Park.

The City’s sports facilities are undergoing numerous improvements, including a major renovation of the Rebsamen Tennis Center near 12th Street. The Center will have resurfaced courts, including the rehabilitation of the Center Court to be named for Robert Walker, a great tennis patron of the city. Many other repairs to the courts and buildings are estimated to be completed by the middle of August. To meet our need for more soccer fields, we are developing the Natural Steps Park and Playing Fields on Highway 300 about five minutes north of Highway 10. This project will add several new soccer fields, which we estimate will be open in February, 2011.

At War Memorial Park, we have renovated two golf holes and increased open space for recreational and leisure activities. We will be adding two new tennis courts next to the Jim Dailey Fitness and Aquatics Center, which we estimate will be completed in September. Enhanced archway entrances to the park at Markham and Fair Park and also on 12th Street are estimated to be completed in September. A spray-and-play area, estimated to be completed in May of next year, will be constructed and should provide hours of entertainment for children similar to the spray-and-play area in Riverfront Park. Other War Memorial Park improvements include the closure of Club Road, the construction of a roundabout at Fair Park and Zoo Drive, the construction of a cancer survivor park and a walking trail along Coleman Creek.

The Little Rock Zoo will receive $1.65 million in improvements for many projects, including the Over-the-Jumps Carousel and the Laura P. Nichols Penguin Pointe exhibit in addition to renovations to the lion, lemur and giraffe exhibits.

MacArthur Park, the original “City Park,” will receive an improved front lawn plaza and more lighting. This project is estimated to be completed in October.

The City purchased 127 acres of land for future development near S. University Ave. that was the former Western Hills Golf Course and also purchased additional property to expand the West Central Ball Complex on Barrow Road and Colonel Glenn Road.

Several of our neighborhood parks will also be receiving facelifts. The following 16 parks will be receiving improved amenities such as new playground additions at Hanger Hill Park, a new basketball court at Southside Park, new bleachers at Meriweather Park, new restrooms at Crump Park and new picnic tables at Pankey Park. Improvements are also planned for Richland Park, Ninth Street Park, Oak Forest Park, Wakefield Park, Prospect Terrace Park, Conner Park, Birchwood Park, Union Park, Butler Park, Thom Park and Pinedale Cove Park.

We hope you will enjoy the progress we are making our parks. These improvements will improve not only our parks but our neighborhoods and our quality of life. As summer turns to fall, we hope you and your family will find more time to experience the wonderful amenities our parks provide.

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Thank you.

Sincerely,

Mark Stodola
Mayor