FORT SMITH — Fort Smith city directors Friday voted to accept a deed for nearly 63 acres of Chaffee Crossing land so the Arkansas National Guard can do preliminary earthwork for a nonprofit group that wants to develop a softball complex.
The Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority has approved conveyance of the land at no cost, according to City Administrator Ray Gosack.
The group, River Valley Sports Complex, is planning to build eight tournamentlevel softball fields on theland as a tourism and economic development boost to the area.
The city applied to the Guard on behalf of River Valley Sports Complex to do the earthwork, but the Guard responded that the city has to own the property before it can accept the application.
The city’s action Friday amended the application to show that it owns the property.
Under the project, the Guard would clear and grade the ground in preparation for development of the complex. The Guard would perform the work, valued at $400,000, forfree as a training exercise, according to the sports complex group.
The city has allocated $1.6 million for the group to develop the fields, but it must come up with some money or in-kind contributions for other parts of the project, such as the earthwork.
The city’s allocation will come from a portion of a 1 percent sales tax that voters in Fort Smith voted to reallocate in March.
Construction of the complex is expected to begin next June and be completed in June 2014, parks and recreation Director Mike Alsup said.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 10 on 06/30/2012