Nature at heart of Luther George Park in Springdale

Playground equipment stands Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, in Luther George Park in Springdale. Plans for an updated Luther George Park go before the city of Springdale Planning Commission on Tuesday night. Visit nwaonline.com/210130Daily/ for today's photo gallery.  
(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)
Playground equipment stands Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, in Luther George Park in Springdale. Plans for an updated Luther George Park go before the city of Springdale Planning Commission on Tuesday night. Visit nwaonline.com/210130Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)

SPRINGDALE -- A little strip of an Ozark stream inspired the redesign of Luther George Park.

Spring Creek runs through the south part of the 10-acre park on its way through downtown to Lake Springdale across town in J.B. Hunt Park.

Native wildflowers blooming along the banks of the creek will become a focal point of the park, said Wes Michaels of Spackman Mossop Michaels Landscape Architects of New Orleans.

"They set the theme for the park," he said. "You're so close to nature, and that nature is so much a part of living in Northwest Arkansas."

A new play area -- for people of all ages, Michaels said -- will have bulbs beginning to bloom, a bright green grasshopper and a watering can on which people can climb, slide and otherwise play.

The main part of the park, the plaza, will overlook the stream. A terraced feature taking park-goers streamside is planned for a future phase of park development, Michaels said.

The Planning Commission is set to vote Tuesday on approval of the construction plans for the park.

Luther George Park sees roughly 40 visitors a day during the winter months and 100 or more a day during the summer months, said Chad Wolf, director of the city's Parks and Recreation Department.

Jill Dabbs, executive director of the Downtown Springdale Alliance, said she anticipates the $10 million park project to break ground before the end of the year.

The Walton Family Foundation gave the downtown group $642,000 for the park design.

Dabbs said the alliance and the city will lead a capital campaign to raise the money for construction.

"We've been very clear from the beginning that much of the money for Luther George Park will be privately raised," said Mayor Doug Sprouse.

The city already has taken several measures to support development of the park, he continued.

Sprouse said Friday the hospital auxiliary of Northwest Medical Center-Springdale has agreed to sell its thrift store building to the city. The store is surrounded by the park, and its purchase will complete the park, he said.

Updating the park is a key piece to revitalizing the downtown area, Sprouse said.

"I call this project the catalyst for much of the private development in the downtown area," he said.

Jeff Cooperstein, a senior research analyst for the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Arkansas, said the park is important to the revitalization efforts.

"Adding any kind of amenities can make an area more desirable," he said.

For example, the park might attract office workers and retailers might want to draw them into their shops.

"Amenities are just another component in the ways to drive development," Cooperstein said.

The prospects for the park and downtown excite Kevin Flores, a member of the City Council.

"No other city in Northwest Arkansas has a park this size with these amenities in their downtown area," he said. "It's very walkable. Visitors downtown can grab food or a drink in the downtown entertainment district and enjoy it in the park."

Flores foresees the park accessed by residents of the luxury apartments and lofts recently opened downtown as well as by residents of the neighborhoods south of the park, which are home to families with lower incomes.

Flores listed the Razorback Greenway as one of the park's special amenities. The trail runs through the park -- and over the creek.

"They can get right on the trail and go to any other city in Northwest Arkansas," he said.

Michaels and his team visited Springdale several times during the design process with activities designed to inspire the imaginations of area residents, who then shared their dreams of the park.

Local artists led children in painting their images of the park on tiles. Adults got into the game by creating a bright poster of sticky notes bearing their wants, which included grills, a dog park, festival music and diverse children playing together.

Nature was among the top five responses from the public sessions, Michaels said.

A drawing of the park shows the new play area will stretch from east to west across the center. The skateboard course and playground equipment donated by the Springdale Kiwanis Club will stay at the far western end.

Residents insisted the park remain a gathering place for all, and the amphitheater is designed to do just that, Michaels said. The unique structure at the center of the park will provide a space for large concerts on one side and smaller performances on the other, he said.

"You could have a concert of local bands, or on the more intimate side, a local high school group might give a performance," he said.

He envisions movies, school plays. "You could even have a Razorback football thing there," he said.

The amphitheater was designed as a sculptural piece, Michaels continued, and it, too, drew inspiration from the beauty of Northwest Arkansas.

"For all the beautiful hills and mountains you have in Northwest Arkansas, that part of Springdale is pretty flat," he said.

The sloping design of the amphitheater is meant to bring the mountains to the park, he said.

Melissa Fink of Springdale said she'll drive her children from her home near J.B. Hunt Park across town to play at Luther George.

Ashlynn Grace, 10, loves the Kiwanis climbing structure, Fink said. Her 2-year-old brother, Johnathan, likes the open space to run, jump and explore. As a mother, Fink likes the openness allowing her to relax but still keep an eye on her kids.

"I love the family feel of the park," she continued. "Families are out playing together, having picnics. You see moms and dads hanging out and talking."

The public also insisted the park remain family friendly, Michaels said.

Springdale residents in recent months have seen the removal of several older office and retail buildings along Emma Avenue, as well as new construction begin. A group associated with the Walton family has broken ground on a mixed-use residential and commercial project along the north side of the street.

The city touts construction of its municipal campus a block north of Emma Avenue, and the Jones Trust is redesigning its 52 acres on the north side of Emma with a more park-like setting.

"I've never heard of a fight over which park to go to," Flores laughed, when asked if the two parks would compete. "There's enough park space for everyone."

Playground equipment stands Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, in Luther George Park in Springdale. Plans for an updated Luther George Park go before the city of Springdale Planning Commission on Tuesday night. Visit nwaonline.com/210130Daily/ for today's photo gallery.  
(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)
Playground equipment stands Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, in Luther George Park in Springdale. Plans for an updated Luther George Park go before the city of Springdale Planning Commission on Tuesday night. Visit nwaonline.com/210130Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)

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Laurinda Joenks can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWALaurinda.

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