SPRINGDALE -- City parks saw much improvements over the summer, and work is nearly completed on the fountain at Murphy Park.
Bobby Hopper Park, at 399 Upton Lane, and Murphy Park, at 501 S. Pleasant St., both received extensive renovation over the summer. The work on Bobby Hopper is completed, and work on Murphy is close to completion, said Bill Mock, Parks and Recreation director.
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"Progress is being made," Mock said.
At Murphy, a new pavilion on the south end of the park has been completed and new bathrooms and a new parking lot are underway and should be complete in the next 30 days.
Improvement to Murphy's pond is the largest undertaking, but is close to completion, Mock said.
A concrete wall around the pond is 80 percent finished, Mock said.
"That is the biggest part of the project," he said. "With that wall in there, once that's done and the water fills back up into the pond, three fountains will be added throughout the pond to give a little more beautification to the project."
Pumps in the fountains will keep the water moving, which will prevent the pond from becoming stagnant, Mock said.
"The wall will prevent pond erosion and give a cleaner look around the banks of the pond," he said. "As things erode they wash down and become a part of the bottom of the pond, which makes the pond more shallow."
Work on the pond should be completed by the end of October if the weather stays as nice as it has been in recent weeks, Mock said.
Improvements to Hopper Park are completed and a ribbon will be cut at the park in the first week of October, said Melissa Reeves, public relations coordinator for the city.
"I went out there last week, and it looks beautiful," Reeves said.
Hopper Park's two soccer fields were resodded, Mock said.
"And then we tore out the old playground and put in a new playground and fenced it in separate from the fields so kids can't run out on the fields in the middle of the game," Mock said.
The park's pavilion was refurbished and painted and a new blacktop was paved the parking lot. Also, fresh landscaping was done around the playground and parking lot.
The city also is working on completing Walter Turnbow Park, a new park that will downtown near City Hall, Reeves said.
"Construction on the park is moving along and we're really excited for it to be open, but I don't have an exact completion date at this time," she said.
Spring Creek has long been closed off by concrete in the area where the park is being built, but for the new park, the concrete has been removed, Reeves said.
"We're restoring it to its former glory," she said. "So that will be a very beautiful addition to downtown."
Turnbow Park, which is next to the Razorback Greenway, will not feature playground equipment, but will have benches so people can relax, eat lunch and enjoy the scenery and, like all Springdale parks, free wi-fi, Reeves said.
Jennifer Keith, who works downtown and often takes her children for walks in that area, said park development is an important city investment and she is excited for the new park.
"I think it's going to be an incredible asset to the downtown community and the city in general," Keith said.
NW News on 09/25/2016