64.6 Downtown unveils $1 million vision for Fort Smith Farmer’s Market, other downtown events

The Fort Smith Parks Commission on Wednesday (Aug. 10) discussed the Parks Department’s capital improvement plan (CIP) and if it should include a proposed $1 million downtown improvement.

Meeting at the Creekmore Park Community Center, the commission approved of the CIP as presented with one exception. It recommended that Fort Smith Parks Director Doug Reinert look into whether $108,000 from the sale of the Belle Grove Center to an investment company representing Future School of Fort Smith earlier this year could be used to invest in a public restroom for the downtown Farmer’s Market.

The request is just that – it isn’t something Reinert is sure can be done with CIP money – but if so, it would be part of a $1 million plan that 64.6 Downtown – the group behind the “Unexpected” murals festival in downtown Fort Smith – has to beef up the Farmer’s Market location in the area of 2nd and A Streets with both the restroom and sky-lighted pavilions.

John McIntosh, executive director of 64.6 Downtown, said the $1 million would be the cost with pavilions. The restroom would be around $125,000 of that. He plans to submit his proposal to the Central Business Improvement District (CBID) at the group’s meeting this month, but was hoping for some public support as well.

McIntosh’s proposal recommends renting the restroom to groups like the Farmer’s Market and putting said renter in charge of opening, closing, and upkeep throughout their event. The Farmer’s Market in 2016 will serve more than 100,000 customers from February through December. During peak times, it hosts 85 vendors, averaging 50 year-round. By comparison, Harry E. Kelley River Park, which was funded by a penny sales tax several years ago and totaled $5.4 million, brings in just 75,000 people annually.

McIntosh said the comparison is not to disparage the park, because it has a vital role in downtown development, but to show the potential of the Farmer’s Market.

THE CIP EXPLAINED
The CIP handles capital improvements and their operating costs and is funded through the city’s 1/8-cent sales tax, thus limiting the scope of what the city can accomplish.

That limitation was a source of frustration for some residents on the north side of town, particularly as it pertained to splash pads and wading pools. Suggested in the 2018 plan were two wading pool-to-splash pad conversions at Tilles and Woodlawn Parks. Each conversion would cost the city $200,000 – $400,000 in total – but a vocal contingent of the area’s residents argued that splash pads made it difficult to teach young children how to swim and that the conversions were essentially the city refusing to upkeep what it already has.

Reinert acknowledged the complaints, but said one of the big reasons behind the conversions is wading pools come with personnel costs in the form of lifeguards while splash pads do not have that requirement and, as a result, are more cost-effective installations.

The two wading pools in question are closed, saving the city $20,000 so far this year by simply removing the need for the additional part-time employment.

The 1/8-cent sales tax was passed in 2012 but collection did not begin until October 2012. In the first year (2013), total cost of projects and operations were $2.254 million. That number rose to $2.871 million in 2014 and dipped back to $2.482 million in 2015, largely due to the reduction in monies needed in making the city’s Parrot Island Water Park contribution. That line item went from $1 million in 2014 to $507,500 the following year.

For 2016, projections are at $2.611 million. Projections for the remaining years are $2.577 million in 2017; $2.445 million in 2018; $2.313 million in 2019; $2.606 million in 2020; $2.35 million in 2021; and $2.57 million in 2022. The 1/8-cent sales tax will sunset in 2022 unless voters decide to keep it in place.

HAMMOCK HANGOUT
Also Wednesday, the parks commission voted to move forward with a “Hammock Hangout” proposal from Anna Claire Tilley, a member of the Girl Scouts of America and student at Chaffin Junior High School in Fort Smith.

Tilley’s goal with the Hammock Hangout is to increase park usage and outdoor opportunities for area youth.

Cost for the first Hammock Hangout will be $335.97 with Girl Scouts of America and any willing donors handling the overhead, Tilley said. The first event will take place at Creekmore with long term plans for expansion to each of Fort Smith’s 23 parks.

(Tilley is the daughter of Michael Tilley, co-owner and executive editor of Talk Business & Politics.)