LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — A long-studied stretch of downtown Little Rock is getting a big boost, and it could soon become a new go-to spot for everyone from stroller-pushers to trail runners.
The Bezos Earth Fund is committing $30 million to 30 Crossings Park, a project designed to transform about 20 acres near the Arkansas River into a destination that connects neighborhood trails and riverfront green space.
Jay Chesshir, president of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, said work on the broader 30 Crossing effort dates back to 2010, when planning focused on roadway and infrastructure changes. During that process, he said, residents raised concerns about neighborhoods being disconnected, and city leaders promised to find ways to reconnect them.
As planning moved from the city’s master planning process into the 30 Crossings Park process, Chesshir said the removal of roadway elements such as on-ramps and off-ramps opened up the area for new possibilities.
“This morning’s announcement, 10 months in the making, is really that first that first investment in getting us moving forward on what will be 100 plus million dollar project,” Chesshir said.
Chesshir said the Bezos Earth Fund was created by Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren, with a goal of helping urban communities add more green space, including programmed green space for children and others who may not have easy access to it.
He said the fund’s representatives visited Little Rock in November of last year, viewing the area from the Clinton Presidential Center and looking at what the park could become alongside what is already happening at the Clinton site.
Chesshir said the vision includes linking multiple major pieces of parkland: about 50 acres at the Clinton site, the 20 acres planned for 30 Crossings Park, and another 32 or so acres from Riverfront Park. Together, he said, that would connect roughly 100 acres of park space with different uses for different ages.
He also said the project could help reshape how people experience downtown Little Rock, calling it a potential catalyst for growth that could encourage new residential and office opportunities downtown.
The connected trail network is a major part of the pitch. Cheshire said the park would tie into the riverfront trail that runs “all the way to Pinnacle Mountain and back,” as well as the Southwest Trail that goes “all the way to Hot Springs and back.” With those connections, he said, “Now, all of a sudden, it’s not just bicycles and joggers, it literally is a playground for people, young, middle-aged, and old.”
Chesshir said only eight cities were selected for this round of funding. He said when Little Rock made the first cut and hosted the fund’s visit in November, leaders shared a vision that could change the core of the region, including what downtown North Little Rock is doing, by creating more than 100 acres of parks and green space in an urban center.
He said the original idea was a potential grant contribution of $5 million to $15 million, but the fund ultimately committed $30 million.
As for when people might start seeing results, Chesshir said the Bezos Earth Fund wants the first four elements of 30 Crossings Park, in the most eastern area of the park next to the Clinton Presidential Center, completed in 36 months.
