Trustees approve University of Arkansas at Little Rock plaza, path plans

New plaza, ‘Trojan Way’ path planned

LITTLE ROCK -- A science building at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will be torn down, and across campus a new plaza and walkway will be built after trustees approved the projects Thursday.

The addition to campus involves reconstructing a central plaza and creating a north-south "promenade," UALR Chancellor Christina Drale told the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees.

A grant from the George W. Donaghey Foundation will pay for the $5.5 million project that's 2,500 linear feet with an area of 105,000 square feet, UALR spokeswoman Angie Faller said in an email.

The new plaza will be outside Ottenheimer Library and serve as a gathering space for students, according to board documents. The new path will be known as "Trojan Way" and will run from 28th Street to University Drive.

The board approved UALR's picks of WER Architects/Planners for design work. The firm has offices in Little Rock and Fayetteville. Trustees also approved Conway-based Nabholz as the project's general contractor.

Faller, in an email, said construction is expected to begin this fall.

The Earth Science Building, built in 1958 and located on the west side of the UALR campus, will be demolished at an estimated cost of $235,871, according to board documents.

"Following demolition, the building footprint will be part of a reimagined entrance to the western side of the campus that will include unique landscape design features and ample green space," stated a letter from UA System President Donald Bobbitt recommending approval for the demolition.

The one-story building is not in use, and Faller said in an email that demolition is expected to begin in April. Demolition will take about 45 days and be done "through mechanical means," Faller said.

Bobbitt's letter to trustees stated that a 2018 report found that the cost of "critical maintenance and general maintenance needs" for the building exceeded $3.35 million.

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