Basin Spring Park is getting its first major facelift in nearly 100 years, and the progress being seen so far is exceeding expectations.
That was the consensus of the Eureka Springs Parks and Recreation Commission at its regular monthly meeting held Tuesday, March 18, at The Auditorium.
“I knew I was going to be impressed, but I didn’t know I was going to be that impressed,” commissioner Ken Trimble said. “I think it’s going to be a real showcase down there. Really great work all the way around. Great coordination of the whole project.
The parks commission didn’t have any old or new business on its agenda, opting to focus the gist of the meeting on the Basin Spring Park project.
“You’ll notice on our agenda that we have no old business, we have no new business, and some might think that’s a good thing. And some are like, are we not doing anything?” commission chair Mark Ingram said. “But, I think it’s fair to say, and everybody would probably agree, we have enough going on with Basin Park and just getting that completed and done in a timely fashion.”
Parks director Sam Dudley called the Basin Spring Park project “the most significant overhaul the park has undergone in nearly a century,” using donations from various groups, along with onthe- ground assistance from the city’s public works department.
“We want to extend a huge thank you to the CAPC, the Eureka Springs Preservation Society, Main Street Eureka Springs, Eureka Springs Public Works, and the Banks Family Foundation for their continual support of this Basin Spring Park rehab project,” Dudley told commissioners. “… The assistance is not just appreciated, it’s vital to our efforts.
“Without all the generous support, none of this would be possible.”
Large new trees have recently been planted, new electrical outlets were added, and a second concrete pour was scheduled for Wednesday, March 19, along the southern portion of the park, Dudley said.
“Now that the trees are in the ground, and the utilities are in place, the rest of the project should move along pretty quickly with the goal of mid-April to have most of the park open and early to mid-May to have the entirety of the project completed,” he said. “We’re definitely going to try to be done before Memorial Day, and then that would kind of kickstart the season here.”
Water stations for the park were recently delivered and will be installed, commissioners were told.
“They’re running water lines for all that,” Ingram said. “Water lines for all the planting areas.”
“This will help with the water coming down from up by the top of the park that comes down, goes along the road,” Dudley responded. “It’ll filter that off before you get to the steps, which is nice. .. which is fantastic.”
The trees, which are already budding, are larger than expected, commissioners said.
“The trees are bigger than I thought they were gonna be. They’re really nice,” commissioner Rodd Gray said. “… Those trees are going to be great.”
Commissioner Ruth Hager offered to help with the cost of a banner to announce an expected reopening of the park and a possible ribbon-cutting to celebrate the renovations.
“We’re getting closer to the point where you can maybe say that we hope to be open by Memorial Day, and of course if you’re earlier than that, it’s fine,” Hager said. “But, to give a reasonable estimation and maybe even plan a ribbon-cutting, whatever you’re planning for the grand reopening.”
Commissioner Aaron Borey said he feels the revamped park is going to be the “heartbeat of downtown.”
“I’ve been continuously impressed by the progress at Basin Park,” Borey said. “I think the team that’s doing it, everybody involved, is doing an amazing job. It’s sometimes hard as a resident, as a tourist, to really see what the end game is going to be. But, every time I go by, I see major progress that I can … envision what is actually the ultimate going to be, and I think it’s going to be really amazing for this town.
“I think it’s going to be like the heartbeat of downtown. I just want to give props to all the teams from donations to the parks department to the contractors involved, because it is truly coming together quite beautifully.”
Commissioner Beth Giltner agreed, specifically mentioning the stamped concrete that is giving the park an overall new look.
“I’m really impressed with the way the concrete looks at Basin Park,” Giltner said. “It looks like limestone, and as it gets dirty and aged, it’s just going to look like rock. So, I really love what they’ve done down there. It looks really good.”
‘BEAUTIFUL SETTING’ FOR BASEBALL
The Eureka Springs High School baseball team opened its first season in several years recently and played its first home game at Lake Leatherwood City Park on Friday, March 14.
“I’ve been to all the home games at the baseball field … the field looks great,” Trimble said. “… It’s a really beautiful setting, and I think with Leatherwood, we can hold our heads up high. It’s really a beautiful area, and the park looks great.
“I think it’s going to be a great fixture down there.”
The community is excited to have the baseball games back, Hager said.
“I’ve heard lots of excitement about it,” she said. “People are talking about it, how excited they are that baseball is back. The field looks good and people are out there playing. So, that’s pretty cool.”
