The Big Dam Bridge Foundation and the city of Little Rock are developing plans to put restrooms and a pavilion on the Little Rock side of the bridge.
At 4,226 feet long, the bridge -- which spans the Arkansas River -- is the nation's longest specially built bicycle and pedestrian bridge.
While visitors enjoy the views of the river and the colorful lights that shine on the bridge at night, there's one thing that's not so pleasant: the lack of proper restrooms.
The only facilities on the Little Rock side of the bridge are two portable toilets. The next closest restrooms are on the North Little Rock side of the 0.8-mile-long bridge.
Mark Rogers, chairman of the Big Dam Bridge Foundation, said users of the bridge have complained about the lack of proper restrooms.
"We don't get a lot of traffic on our website, but what comments we do get are about how gross the [portable toilets] are," he said.
Little Rock resident Rena Parker, 46, said she'd love to see a restroom facility on the Little Rock side of the bridge.
"[The portable toilets] are often occupied, and they're not clean sometimes," she said.
But Parker, who regularly walks on the bridge with her 12-year-old son Timothy, said the improvements should include the addition of safety measures, too.
"It'd be a good idea if they had some kind of security with the restrooms," she said. "I think not too long ago, people were breaking in cars over here."
To address the concerns of visitors, the foundation and the Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department have drafted plans for a "pit stop pavilion," featuring restrooms and a covered picnic area at the site.
Right now, the foundation is working to finance the first phase of construction -- the restroom facility.
The foundation needs to raise at least $50,000 by Aug. 15 so that the city can seek a grant from the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism to fund the project.
Mark Webre, deputy director of operations for the Little Rock parks department, said he's hopeful that the city will receive the grant.
"There's been a lot of positive feedback," he said.
As a part of the grant application process, the city must prove community support for the project. The foundation is conducting surveys on its website -- bigdambridge.org -- to build evidence of community support and find out what parts of the plan people are most interested in.
Rogers said more than 800 people have already responded but the foundation wants to get as many responses as it can.
The construction of the restroom facility will cost about $240,000, Webre said.
Little Rock Parks and Recreation is applying for a 50/50 match grant, which means the city and the foundation have to come up with half of the money to finance the project.
The foundation is putting in $30,000 of its own money and is working to obtain donations from corporate sponsors and residents to reach its goal of $60,000, Rogers said.
"Theway things are going right now, I think we're going to hit $70,000," he said.
Webre said the city of Little Rock will match what the foundation raises to make up the difference.
The second phase of the project includes the construction of the pavilion, which would be a covered cement pad with picnic tables.
"It will be nestled back behind these two huge pine oaks," Rogers said. "The entire pavilion will be elevated."
Rogers said the second phase would cost probably between $250,000 and $300,000.
The third phase of construction includes the creation of a concessions building.
But Rogers said plans for the concessions area aren't definite.
"We don't see that as a great need like the restrooms, but the city may want to do that," he said.
If the city is successful in obtaining the grant, construction on the restrooms likely will start in summer 2015, Webre said.
Metro on 07/14/2014