Area residents can expect the new 106-acre Bishop Park and community center in Bryant to open in 2010, Bryant Parks and Recreation Direc-tor Jeremy Lemons told the Courier on Thursday.
“We are still looking to have the park and community center open by spring of 2010,” he said. “People should start seeing actual construction around the first week of December for the community center.”
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Thursday to initiate the construction phase of the 70,000-square-foot community center.
The Bryant Senior Activity Center will move from its current location at SW Fourth Street to the community center and will occupy 8,000 square feet of the building.
The Boys and Girls Club of Bryant also will move into the complex with a two-story 24,000-square-foot facility.
“This community center alone is going to be huge for the city,” said Lemons. “The possibilities are unlimited.”
The park project began after the city purchased the 106 acres of land from Norma Bishop for $750,000, a price considerably lower than the appraised value, Lemons said.
Bryant residents approved tax initiatives in July 2006 to fund the $16 million park complex. A 1/8-cent sales tax will finance the operation and maintenance of the complex and all city parks. It is projected that it will take nearly 17 years to pay off the bonds, but Lemons said that it appears it will be sooner, and once the bonds are paid, the tax will expire.
Allessi Keyes Construc-tion of Little Rock is the contractor for the parks project. CEG Construction is subcontractor for the dirt work.
Construction of the community center will be conducted by Flynco Inc. of Little Rock, low bidder on the project Bryant City Council accepted the company’s bid of just under $7 million. Lemons said Flynco is expected to give daily construction updates on its Web site, www.flynco.com.
“After you go to the Web site,” Lemons explains, “look for the client projects in the left hand margin. After you click on that link, enter the numbers 81007 in the client ID box and you will see pictures and get updates.”
Lemons said on Nov. 24, Flynco will continue testing the compaction of the ground. He said Flynco promised the completion of the community center in 420 days. According to its Web site, “Flynco has completed absolutely every project we have ever started on time and in budget.”
Along with the community center, the park will have nine baseball fields, six softball fields, two full-sized soccer fields, parking for 500 vehicles, a 500-vehicle parking overflow lot, irrigation systems, backstops, press boxes, a large pond, an aquatic center and more. Lemons believes Bishop Park will be one of the largest parks in Central Arkansas and that the community center will please people of all ages.
“This will bring everyone together in one area and everybody is real excited about it,” he said. “I have had a lot of people tell me they wish it was already here, but it takes time to get everything going. But we are still on schedule for 2010, so we have to just wait a little longer.”
Portions of the community center will be two-level and will feature three regulation-size basketball courts, administrative offices, a large indoor cushioned walking trail, an upstairs meeting room that will accommodate around 360 people, a downstairs room that will hold about 120 people, an aerobics room, a small activity area, a small service area, a concessions area and four storage rooms.
“The cushioned walking trail, I think, will be used by a lot,” Lemons said. “It will be easier on the body and since it will be on the second floor, it will overlook the facility.”
Lemons also said that adding extra storage rooms was something was strongly encouraged to him during a trip in 2007.
“I went to Kansas City and visited 10 different community centers in three days,” he said. “All of the people I met that were involved in the construction of the buildings said if they could do it over again, they would add more storage rooms.”
A large stage will be designed inside the gymnasium in which banquets or other large gatherings can be held and the meeting rooms will include small service kitchens, Lemons said.
The Boys and Girls Club will include a concession area, a game room, administrative offices, a conference room, a teen “hangout” center, an art room, a learning center/study room, a music room and a technology center. Lemons said the technology center could possibly house between 25 and 30 computers.
“We’ll also have an outside play area for the Boys and Girls Club,” he said. “In the future we plan to have outside basketball courts, a playground and pavilions.”
The Senior Center facilities will include a game room, a large gathering area, a stage, a large full-service kitchen and more. The two adjacent meeting rooms also can be opened up for large dances or other entertainment venues for the center.
On the outside of the community center, Lemons said an aquatic center will be constructed that includes a public lap pool, a heated therapeutic pool and shower areas. The center will also include a couple of birthday party rooms.
He said the aquatic center will be around 22,000 or 24,000 square feet and he hopes to place it out for bid in January.
Future plans include adding splash pads in the aquatic center. Lemons explained that splash pads provide water play with no standing water and are considered safe for children.
Other future plans for the rest of the park including youth soccer fields, pavilions, an amphitheater and picnic areas. He said the city will look at holding some of the city;s biggest festivals, events and fundraisers in the park in the future. Those events include Family Fest, Fall Fest, Monster Madness and a possible drive-through Christmas display of lights and decorations.
“This is going to be a one-of-a-kind park in Central Arkansas,” Lemons said. “I think everyone will be pleased when this park is completed. I think this will be really good for Saline County and think everyone will be proud to have this park.”
For more information, call 847-PARK.
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