SPRINGDALE -- City officials plan to spend at least $1 million to upgrade Murphy Park, sprucing up a pond that's a popular fishing site with a concrete border and fountains, among other improvements.
The park sits at 501 S. Pleasant St. between the Springdale Public Library and Springdale High School to the north and the Springdale Youth Center and Springdale Aquatic Center to the south. The park also has a playground and bathrooms.
Murphy Park
• It’s the city’s first park.
• The park is named after Robert Murphy, who moved to the area from Texas in 1901.
• Murphy sold 26 acres of his farm to the city in 1955 for a park and swimming pool.
• A pool was built in 1960. It’s been remodeled several times.
• The city spent about $2 million in the late 1990s for upgrades to the park.
• The Springdale Aquatic Center opened in the park in 2000.
Source: Allyn Lord, director of Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
Officials plan to drain the pond, remove an island and add two to three fountains, possibly with colored lights, said Bill Mock, director of the Parks and Recreation Department. Plans also call for building a concrete border around the pond for a "cleaner look" and to avoid erosion, he said. Officials want to construct a concrete pad to cover an exposed pipe on the south side of the pond that would also serve as a flat surface for people to fish.
Richard Blackwell, Springdale resident, spent time fishing on the south side of the pond Monday afternoon. He said he'd rather the island stay where it is, because it provides a habitat for ducks and geese and helps keep them away from people. Fish tend to gather by the island, he said.
The island is also a "maintenance hardship," Mock said. A boat has to be used to get to the island to clean it up.
Officials plan to tear down the current bathroom south of the pond and place a new one on the east side of the park with a small parking lot, Mock said. They plan to fill in an inlet to the pond and place a small pavilion there. Trash tends to collect in the inlet.
Mock said a large pavilion is planned for the south part of the park. He said he'd like the pavilion to be used as an outdoor space for local bands to play music.
The upgrades are projected to cost $1 million-$1.2 million, Mock said.
Money remaining in the parks portion of bond funds will be used for the updates, said Wyman Morgan, city director of finance and administration. An estimated $1.4 million is left from the bond for parks.
The bond also includes portions for streets and the Fire Department.
Bond money is being used to create C.L. "Charlie" and Willie George Park in the southeast part of the city, Morgan said. Officials also spent part of the money on playground equipment, shade covers and bleachers for parks.
A majority of parks bond money must be used by this fall, three years after the voters approved the bond, Morgan said. The bond issue raised $16.1 million for parks.
Meredith Davis, Springdale resident, sat with her daughter in lawn chairs at the Murphy Park on Monday afternoon. In response to the planned upgrades, she said "It's time."
Davis said she likes Murphy Park because it's close to her home, but other parks are newer and more updated. She also said it would be nice if the park had more playground equipment, because the current equipment is "packed" after school.
Mock said there isn't yet a set start date for work on the upgrades. They will go out to bid soon.
Mock gave city aldermen an update about the plans to upgrade Murphy Park at the City Council committee meetings May 4. He said aldermen were interested in also adding another playground to the park. This, however, probably won't happen until after the plan is completed.
NW News on 05/12/2015