BENTONVILLE — The city’s planned community center is one step closer to reality after Parks and Recreation staff announced a $1 million grant from the Walmart Foundation. The city will continue to raise money for the center that is projected to cost around $15 million.
The 80,000-square-foot community center will house indoor swimming pools, basketball courts, fitness areas, a small library and meeting spaces. Site work is complete at its location at Arkansas 112 in southwest Bentonville and is ready for construction, said David Wright, director of the Parks and Recreation Department. Wright said he anticipates putting the project out for bid sometime this summer.
The city has invested $3 million in the project to cover road construction, parking lots, ponds, sports fields and building pads, according to previous newspaper reports. The center will open about 18 months after building construction begins, Wright estimated.
At A Glance
Where Is It?
The Bentonville Community Center will be located on the revamped Southwest I Street just south of its intersection with Arkansas 112.
Source: Staff Report
“Right now, we just don’t yet have the money to finish it,” he said. “But that’s coming. We know it’s happening.”
The Walmart grant is a big step to topping off needed funding. Conversations with the foundation began two years ago and continued in September, Wright said. The city showed plans for the shovel-ready project and the $1 million number popped up, he said.
The foundation did have one caveat with the donation.
“They want $300,000 of the money to go toward children and families that might not otherwise be able to afford to attend programs at the center. The money will cover special programming, as well as transportation to the kids, Wright said. “Our mission is the be the epicenter of fun in Bentonville, but we want to be that for everybody.”
Wright said he expects additional donations will come to the project in the coming months.
Another $1 million is on the way from the Bentonville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, according to Kalene Griffith, president of the bureau. She said the organization will donate about $330,000 a year over the next few years.
The bureau aims to increase the city’s attraction to sports groups with the community center’s planned indoor competitive pool. Its meeting space could also draw groups to the city, she said.
“We could host swim meets throughout the year,” Griffith said. “But it’s a quality of life issue for our community as a whole.”