SPRINGDALE -- City officials are seeking grant money for a trail to connect the Razorback Greenway to the west side of the city.
Springdale aldermen approved a resolution Tuesday expressing the willingness of their city to use grant money to pay for part of The Pride of Springdale Trail. The trail would be 5½ miles long and provide more accessibility to parts of the city, Patsy Christie, director of planning and community development, said before the meeting.
The trail would connect the greenway in the downtown Springdale area to Northwest Medical Center-Springdale, Murphy Park, Springdale High School and Har-Ber High School, Christie said. The trail would probably have an overpass over Interstate 49 and another over Thompson Street.
Springdale is applying for the grant through the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, Christie said. The grant would require the city to match 20 percent. The maximum grant amount is $500,000, in which the city would match $100,000.
The Razorback Greenway is a 36-mile trail from Fayetteville to Lake Bella Vista. It runs through downtown Springdale and the city's new Walter Turnbow Park.
After the Springdale City Council meeting Tuesday, Mayor Doug Sprouse referred to trails in the city as "a lifestyle enhancement." He said trails are an amenity that can attract people to live in the city, which can help improve economic development.
Springdale's decision to seek the grant to connect the Razorback Greenway to the west side of the city comes at a time when efforts are gaining momentum to revitalize other parts of the city.
In January, Tyson Foods Inc. officials announced a $1 million donation to help revitalize downtown Springdale.
Other cities and counties across Arkansas are seeking to develop bicycle, walking and jogging trails, too.
In central Arkansas, officials announced in December an agreement to build a 70-mile bicycle trail from Little Rock to Hot Springs. The project -- which does not yet have a timeline and funding -- involves municipal and county officials in Pulaski, Saline and Garland counties.
Those officials signed a memorandum of understanding that stated the involved counties and its cities would do what they could to make the central Arkansas path a reality.
The officials estimate the central Arkansas trail would cost more than $20 million.
Metro on 03/31/2015