Fort Smith park improvements continue, including completion of large projects

As the weather warms and more Fort Smith residents and visitors head outdoors, they are going to see some changes at the city parks. For example. the city made many improvements to Creekmore Park last year, but more are on the way.

The park near the main Fort Smith Public Library saw several improvements completed in 2024, including construction of a picnic and patio area, custom train-themed toddler playground, construction of a tunnel for the miniature train, addition of a basketball court, and sidewalk and drainage improvements.

Work on the 77-year-old pool area includes new amenities, such as a concession stand and a lifeguard break area, demolition of the 77-year-old bathhouse and diving well dome, construction of a new bathhouse and diving well enclosure, addition of a party/meeting room, and a new lobby. The main pool area also will be improved with new bleachers and fencing around the pool, which will also have a shaded canopy around the perimeter of the facility. The pool project is expected to be finished on time with the pool opening on schedule during the Memorial Day weekend.

Now it’s time to look at the miniature golf course, said Sara Deuster, director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Fort Smith. ID Logistics will be replacing the course timbers, course obstacles, scorecard posts, and painting the concession building, Deuster said. And the company will be getting some help from private citizens on course work.

“We are very fortunate to have people in the community who donate their time to improve amenities within our parks system. (The) first workday is scheduled on April 5. ID Logistics will focus on the south course. Our staff met with a local Eagle Scout a few weeks ago who plans to make similar improvements on the north course,” Deuster said.

Creekmore Park parking lot improvements also will begin soon.

“Citizens should expect temporary closures of certain areas of the parking lot areas while these improvements are being made. This information will be communicated to citizens, as we determine the schedule for this project,” Deuster said.

Moving across town, construction at Carol Ann Cross Park is also coming to a close. The $3.344 million greenway and boardwalk project at Carol Ann Cross Park was completed in January. The project consisted of the construction of an approximate 0.45-mile concrete walking path and 0.15-mile boardwalk with an overlook area of the Arkansas River in the northeast corner of Carol Ann Cross Park.

The Fort Smith Board of Directors also approved the purchase and installation of an inclusive playground at Carol Ann Cross for $868,425.38. In addition to funding from the parks sales tax, $190,000 from the Carol Ann Cross Park cell tower revenue is funding the project, Deuster said.

To help reduce the cost to the City, parks maintenance staff are performing the demolition and site preparation for that new playground, she said. Site preparation and concrete work is currently in progress for the inclusive playground at Carol Ann Cross Park. Next will come the installation of the play amenities, followed by the artificial turf.

The completed project will feature designated play areas for multiple age groups (for 2 to 5-year-olds and children 5-12) and a multi-swing bay. The Forma product line was selected for this project to complement the natural scenery of the park, Deuster said. This project is still expected to be complete in May, she said.

“A local Eagle Scout has committed to installing benches at the overlook area of the new boardwalk. She also intends to construct a picnic pavilion to the north of the new inclusive playground, as this area of the park does not have a pavilion,” Deuster said. “Again, we are grateful to have service-driven members of our community who help us improve our parks system.”

Phase 1A of Maybranch Greenway also should be completed in April, Deuster said. The Maybranch Greenway, part of the Parks and Recreation department’s capital improvement plan for fiscal years 2024-2028, is an approximate four-mile paved trail that connects the Greg Smith River Trail to the Kelley Park Ballfields, providing several other connections along the route.

Phase 1A of the project was approved by the Board of Directors in March 2024. That phase is approximately 0.7 mile of 10 foot-wide concrete multipurpose greenway that goes from North Seventh Street to North P Street, then traveling through Martin Luther King Jr. Park to end at North Greenwood Avenue. The project includes solar lighting, two bicycle repair stations, benches, trash receptacles, and mile marker signage along the greenway.

Design work for Maybranch Greenway Phase IB, a mile-long stretch that will connect 1A to the Greg Smith River Trail, also is substantially complete.

“We plan to bid this project in (the fourth quarter) of this year,” Deuster said.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Park Splash Pad also is on schedule to open Memorial Day Weekend. The new splash pad will feature a unique design element in that the waterslide will have a cove on one of its sides that offers steady rainfall. While that feature is fun for children, Deuster said the most exciting part is that the steady rainfall area will be able to serve as a calming space for children who may be overwhelmed by the “chaos” of natural play.

The city unveiled a new fitness court at the park in October, and the Grizzly Field, where the Northside High School’s girls softball team and nearby youth clubs play, is getting some help.

“I think it is also important to note the installation of batting cages at Grizzly Field located at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. This was a privately funded project by a community member who wished to invest private dollars towards improvements to our parks system. Again, Fort Smith is very fortunate to have these individuals,” Deuster said.