OUR TOWN

Little Rock notebook

Commission seeks indoor-court study

The Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau wants to study the feasibility of building an indoor multisport facility in Little Rock.

The bureau, through the city's Advertising and Promotion Commission, is asking the city to apply for a $15,000 Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism grant on its behalf. The bureau would match the grant to help fund the study.

"Sporting events represent our largest meeting segment, contributing the greatest number of hotel stays and tourism tax-generated revenue," said Gretchen Hall, the bureau's president and chief executive officer. "We have discussed on various occasions the fact that our city is lacking a multicourt, indoor sports facility that would aid in recruiting additional sports-related groups."

Hall said the bureau will ask the consultant conducting the study to offer suggestions regarding location of such a facility and recommend specifications such as size, layout, business potential, economic impact and the financial requirements for the development.

The facility could provide basketball and volleyball courts and accommodate dance, gymnastics and cheer competitions, as well as table tennis, martial arts and fencing, Hall said.

5 fields completed at sports complex

Construction of five new soccer and lacrosse fields is complete at Natural Steps Sports Complex, the city announced.

Sod had been laid and the sprinkler system installed by early last week, and the three soccer fields are scheduled to be handed over to the soccer association for play late this week, City Manager Bruce Moore wrote in a memorandum.

The two lacrosse fields were the last constructed and need about three to four more weeks of "grow-in time," Moore said.

The complex, located on Highway 300 a mile past the entrance to Pinnacle Mountain, is used by local lacrosse and soccer leagues.

The five fields cost $770,000. The project was funded in part from the 1 percent sales tax increase voters approved in 2011 and partly from revenue generated from the refinancing of the 1998 Parks and Recreation bonds.

Luis Gonzalez, the city's marketing and communications manager, said this project is "another example of how public and private collaboration can bring new recreational opportunities" to Little Rock.

City uploads video of water projects

The city has uploaded a video to YouTube that demonstrates the water runoff projects being installed along Main Street.

The video, Greening Main Street with Low Impact Development, can be found on the city's YouTube page called City of Little Rock.

Porous pavement, rain gardens and bioswales, which are similar to rain gardens but hold a larger volume of water, are being installed on the 100, 200, 300 and 500 blocks of Main Street downtown. The additions are meant to aid in water filtration before runoff reaches the Arkansas River.

A number of trees on the affected blocks will be removed and replaced with new trees that Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola said are more fit for the area. The 300 block of the street is closed to vehicle traffic for about a month to accommodate the installation of the runoff measures, including new pavement being laid. Officials have said the 500 block will also require a street closure, but they have not said when or for how long.

Metro on 09/14/2014

Upcoming Events