The city of Little Rock, Arkansas, will spend between $93 million and $128 million to build a downtown municipal park. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2026.
Public officials found a rare opportunity to expand the city’s available greenspace and revitalize the downtown area after the highway’s recent expansion. The city removed a stretch of highway ramps for the Interstate 30 Crossing, putting 18 acres of land up for grabs. The expansion paved the way for the city to capitalize on newly available land to create fresh recreational opportunities for the community.
The 30 Crossing Park project will be located near the I-30 river bridge and provide a space for community events, recreation and connectivity to downtown amenities and cultural hubs. The park will seamlessly blend playgrounds with open space and trail networks. Prominent park features will include:
- An urban living room emphasizing art and gardens.
- A linear park.
- A curated nature area.
- An adventure play zone.
- Flexible lawns.
- A dedicated nature and wetland area.
- Sports zones.
- An urban waterfront.
A significant portion of the park will be located underneath I-30. The city will install acoustic curtains beneath the overpass to mitigate noise.
The urban living room will include a connecting cultural trail and a shared-use trail weaving throughout its length. Additional features include a seating grove terrace, indigenous garden and art area, native gardens, a rose garden, pollination garden and dog park. In addition to ample open lawn space, the area will include an outdoor classroom and stage, a hammock forest and a food truck space with a misting swing trellis.
The hub of the Cultural Trail Greenway will encourage active recreation and emphasize integrated nature trails. Prominent attractions will include a destination playground, pocket play areas, picnic spots, elevated walkways and play tower connections. Additional features include overlook trail lawns, forested berms, a water plaza, water wall and rock garden. There will be ample open lawn space aw well as a dedicated archery range and flex event lawn.
To encourage sports activities, the city will build a sand sports space with volleyball courts. Both an advanced and beginner skate park and a pump track will be nearby. To the north, the city will build a court zone and flex space for futsal, pickleball and basketball. Additional recreational opportunities will include a bouldering climb zone, ticketed climbing tower and an outdoor gym terrace.
The urban waterfront will include a floating dock for launching kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. The area will feature a riverboat quay, outdoor education deck, restaurant and boathouse, boardwalk and an overlook pier.
Photo by Pixabay
For more of the latest from the expansive government marketplace, check Government Market News daily for new stories, insights and profiles from public sector professionals. Check out our national contracting newsletter here.
