WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. — West Memphis is moving forward on a grand makeover plan of all of its city parks. It came with a $9 million price tag that voters approved in December of 2019.
Southland Casino, located in West Memphis, is footing the bill.
“This is just going to be really big for West Memphis," West Memphis Mayor Marco McClendon said.
McClendon said the renovation process was delayed a bit by the pandemic but said plans to move forward are back on track.
Hightower Park, located off of Broadway Ave., is expected to be the first park you will see work done on. It will include adding an amphitheater, a pavilion and new playgrounds and basketball courts.
The list of renovations spread across the city is lengthy from a complete redesign of Tilden Rodgers Park that includes new Baseball/Softball fields with Artificial Turf and new dugouts, splash pads, dog park and more.
“It’s actually going to give residents here an opportunity to enjoy having a better quality of life but what it’s actually going to do is put us in a situation where we can start hosting some of these softball and soccer tournaments which is going to bring teams here," McClendon said.
McClendon hopes the improvements will mean more people visiting West Memphis and staying in hotels, eating locally and shopping to generate more revenue for the city.
List of the park renovations coming to West Memphis:
• 12 new Baseball/Softball fields with Artificial Turf and new dugouts
• 6 Artificial Turf Tennis courts
• 4 Sand volleyball courts
• 4 Soccer ball fields
• New concessions and restrooms
• Additional parking and spaces for buses
• Walk bridge for fishing and paddle boats
• 2 miles of Exercise trails
• 3 Splash pads
• Amphitheater and Pavilions on Broadway
• 2 Basketball courts
• Kickball fields
• Playgrounds at all city parks
• Dog Park