About two dozen people gathered at Basin Spring Park on the afternoon of Thursday, May 23, to observe the completion of about $51,000 worth of improvements to the park.

Eureka Springs Parks and Recreation Executive Director Sam Dudley said upgrades included refurbishing 13 park benches, redoing the staircase and modifying the handrail leading to the sides of the band shell and reconstructing the area’s south entry, which was falling apart.

It all started with some constructive criticism from a concerned Eureka Springs citizen, Scott Price.

“He said, ‘I have a beef with you,’ ” Dudley recounted from his conversation with Price. “He explained that Basin Park is the city’s crown jewel, and that it needed some work.”

The parks department lacked enough public funds to make the kinds of upgrades desired, so the city’s Advertising and Promotions Commission kicked in the majority of the money, and the Eureka Springs Preservation Society provided the rest.

The improvements also included refurbishing the fire bell, which was provided by the Abendschone chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Dudley said. The parks and rec department spruced up and repainted the gazebo and its seating. The park’s plaques were replaced, and the stone backdrop got a cleaning and facelift.

One of the most noticeable improvements is the new benches. The original metal was saved, and Osage orange was used to replace the wood. Craftsmen on those works included Dustin Griffith of Ozark CNC & Design and Brent Eudaly of The Serious Toy Company.

Dudley said he hoped the upgrades and improved access will entice visitors to go up to the band shell.

“We want people to go up there and poke around,” he said.