BENTONVILLE -- The city will add another park to its portfolio with construction of the 28th Street Park.
The City Council at its Dec. 14 meeting approved a $7.35 million agreement with Flintco to build the park.
The park will sit on a 25-acre site and will connect with a 1.6-mile trail that will run from Southwest 28th Street to Southwest Greenhouse Road, said David Wright, parks and recreation director. The Walton Family Foundation provided a $1.4 million grant for the trail, he said.
Wright hopes work can begin by Feb. 1. Construction should take 14 to 18 months, he said.
Amenities will include a destination playground, splash pad and a dog park, according to the city.
"The residents of Bentonville will soon enjoy greater recreational opportunities because a new park will be created in an area that currently lacks such an attraction," council member Octavio Sanchez said. "The new park will be unique in its design as it will include a splash pad as well as cricket and other fields and a dog park."
The park's cricket pitch will be the first such regulation size field in the area, Wright said.
About 85% of the project will be paid from fees developers pay prior to receiving a certificate of occupancy, Wright previously said.
The 28th Street Park is not part of the city's $266 million bond plan for capital projects and bond refinancing that voters backed in April during a special election. The city will pay for the bonds by extending a 1-cent sales tax. The tax was approved in 2003 and extended in 2007.
The park will be adjacent to Osage Creek Elementary and Creekside Middle School.
"We're always looking to expand our learning beyond the walls of our schools," said Janet Schwanhausser, Bentonville School District deputy superintendent. "The new 28th Street Park will allow learners from Osage Creek Elementary and Creekside Middle School to engage in a beautiful setting with a wide variety of activities, ranging from the study of native plant life to physical fitness. The creativity of staff and students will absolutely lead to many hours of learning fun in nature."
The area where the park will go is booming with development, Wright said. There are several new neighborhoods being built within a quarter-mile of the park, he said.
"There are new roofs popping up there every day," he said.
The city now has 20 parks covering approximately 1,000 acres, said Debbie Griffin, city director of administration.
City parks provide access to recreational opportunities, increase property values, spur local economies, combat crime and protect cities from environmental impact, according to City Parks Alliance based in Washington, D.C.
Also in the works at the start of the new year is a dog park at Orchards Park. The dog park will be 4 acres, bigger than the dog park on North Walton Boulevard that sees constant use. That dog park is just an acre, Wright said.
Normally a project like this dog park would take three to four months, but with supply chain issues, it's hard to know exactly when work will be done. The city already is experiencing a 16- to 18-week delay for the park's pavilion materials, Wright said. The goal is to have the dog park open by summer, he said.
Orchards Park is on the southeast corner of the intersection of Northeast J Street and John DeShields Boulevard, across from the Amazeum and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The name is derived from Bentonville's strong agricultural history in being a major producer of apples, according to a city webpage on city parks.
The City Council on Dec. 14 also approved $533,417 to Milestone Construction for the purchase of materials, labor and services to construct the dog park and to make playground area improvements at Orchards Park. The city will add a $26,582 owners' contingency to the contract, bringing the total potential contract to $560,000, according to city documents.
Council also approved a $255,768 budget adjustment to pay for equipment, materials and services that will be used for a playground at Orchards Park.
"Orchards Park will look different next fall," Wright said.