Fort Smith Parks Director outlines $11.8 million in construction plans through 2022

Fort Smith Parks and Recreation Director Doug Reinert shared with the Fort Smith Board of Directors detailed plans on approximately $11.8 million in trails and greenways work the city will perform through 2022.

Approximately half of the costs will come from grants and outside funding sources while the remainder will be funded through the department’s 1/8-cent sales and use tax set to expire in 2022 unless Fort Smith voters grant an extension.

Work planned through 2022 will encompass 17.6 of the city’s 34.2 miles of projects at an average cost of $667,737 per mile, $621,160 of which would be in construction costs against $23,513 in design services and $23,065 in construction administration.

Projects at Chaffee Crossing and the Fort Smith Riverfront were included in Reinert’s report and are either planned, completed, or are under construction. The top line items pertained to the Greg Smith River Trail at a total cost of $4.994 million, $2.831 million of which has already been finished. When the third phase is complete the trail will comprise 6.4 of the 17.6 miles. Another 7.1 miles of the planned construction and improvements will be at Chaffee Crossing at an estimated cost of $4.318 million. The Landfill Loop Trail will comprise the final 4.1 miles at an estimated cost of $2.489 million.

“When we sat down in 2015, I was hoping we could keep construction costs to about $500,000 per mile. It looks like we’re pushing closer to $700,000 per mile, which is still not exorbitant,” Reinert said.

Major outside funding commitments and payments total $6.341 million with Friends of Recreational Trails (FORT) committing to $2.039 million and the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority (FCRA) committing to $1.5 million. Additionally, the city received payments from the Walton Family Foundation ($1 million); an Arkansas State Grant ($337,316); Blue & You Foundation ($150,000); Arkansas General Improvement Fund ($40,884); Arvest Bank ($50,000); and a grant from the Arkansas Highway Transportation Department (AHTD, $224,000).

“So far, we’ve got $5.8 million in outside funding with partnerships and grants,” Reinert said, adding the department will also be applying for another $500,000 grant from AHTD for the Landfill Loop project.

FORT had initially pledged $3 million, but the number has since receded, though it remains the largest committed amount. Reinert said if there is slippage in the totals raised, his department will scale back construction costs. FORT Committee Member Bill Hanna said the group had “$2.2 million in pledges and we’ve written about $190,000 in checks to go to phase two of the Greg Smith Trail.”

He continued: “We’ve got about $380,000 in the bank currently. It’s an ongoing effort. As we get more trails, it’s an easier product to sell. So I am hoping for more impact with donations in the coming months.”

The city’s contribution from the 1/8-cent sales and use tax money is $5.9 million through 2022.

“With grants and contributions, 49.4% of the trail system will be paid for by someone else,” Reinert said, noting that should the city receive a $500,000 AHTD grant, it will bump that percentage to 51.2% from outside funding sources.

“We’re making significant progress with the trails system. Total cost of everything we’re estimating is $11.8 million for what we have planned now, but the rest of it is about another $20 million to finish Mill Creek and all the other phases that we would like to. So the total cost of estimated construction on the private trail system’s 34.2 miles will be roughly $32 million,” Reinert said.