Jonesboro city officials announce $5 million plan for shooting sports complex

Jonesboro Police Chief Rick Elliott said Wednesday (April 6) that an opportunity to build an outdoor shooting range was too good to pass up, with the project being supported by state and local officials.

Elliott, along with Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin, announced plans to build the $5 million complex on a 300-acre site just off Moore Road near I-555. Elliott had said he and other officials had worked on the plan for several months, with a site on Dan Avenue being considered.

However, a partnership with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission helped to make the project bigger, Elliott said. The project will be funded in a 75/25 formula, with 75% coming from AGFC through federal grant money and the rest paid for by Jonesboro.

The complex, for which the plans are still being developed, will have nine trap fields and three skeet shooting overlays, Elliott said. The complex will also have an archery range and a fishing lake on the plot of land.

Elliott and Perrin recently visited Jacksonville to see their shooting sports complex. The complex there impressed Elliott and Perrin, with ideas being developed after the visit. Perrin said the Jacksonville facility recently hosted a state tournament, bringing visitors and economic activity to the city. Elliott said the complex, expected to be built by the end of 2017, will also seek to host state tournaments and national competitions as well.

The facility will be owned by the city of Jonesboro and will be open Wednesday through Sunday. On Mondays and Tuesdays, the facility will be closed for maintenance, Elliott said, noting that local police and sheriff’s deputies will be able to use the facility those days for training.

The budget for operating the facility will be part of the 2017 city budget, Elliott said. The facility will be run by several full-time and part-time employees as well as volunteers. Also, there will be a minimal fee for visitors to use the facility. Elliott said officials were still trying to determine how much it would cost to use the complex, but noted the money would be used to recoup operating costs.