New $2.2 million park in works for Jonesboro

The city of Jonesboro has been awarded a $1 million grant from the United States Department of the Interior’s National Park Services, through the Outdoor Recreation Legacy program to build a new park in the northeast quadrant of the city.

A $1.1 million match has already been approved by the City Council. The Junior Auxiliary of Jonesboro has also committed $100,000 toward the development of this project. Construction is slated to begin in the summer of 2025.

The project still requires a final vote by the City Council.

“This is exciting news for our city and reinforces the great work of our Grants, Parks and Engineering departments who put together a great application for a long overdue park in Northeast Jonesboro,” said Jonesboro Mayor Copenhaver. “This park is a key investment in the well-being and quality of life for residents of northeast Jonesboro. We are grateful to the National Park Service, the state of Arkansas, Junior Auxiliary, and both Cornerstone and Journey Churches for their partnership in making this vision a reality.”

The newly proposed park will be built at the end of Disciple Drive. It will cover at least 13 acres, with potential to expand to 23 acres, contingent on further land acquisition.

Planned features will include a fully accessible adventure playground, walking and biking trails, tennis courts, pickleball courts, and a dog park. multi-use sports fields, an expanded entrance road, a parking lot, and an abundance of natural green space are also planned.

“When we first met with Mayor Copenhaver about how we could help improve Jonesboro, his pitch for a park in east Jonesboro was an immediate ‘yes’ as it lined up perfectly with our mission to improve lives for local youth. We are so proud to be a part of this wonderful project,” said Junior Auxiliary President, Jessica Baker.

The city of Jonesboro’s Parks and Recreation Director Danny Kapales said, “As the Master Parks Plan indicated, this location was lacking in park space and was a priority. This grant and future park represent what is possible to achieve as a collective group.”

There is currently no city park within one and a half miles of the project site, making this development a resource for the surrounding community.

“This project is a culmination of more than two years of coordination between the city, the state of Arkansas, and the National Parks Service. We are excited any time we win a grant, but to secure the largest parks grant the city of Jonesboro has ever received is special and personal for our hard-working staff,” Grants Director Jeremy Biggs said.