Plan to Build Community Center & Other Improvements Presented to Searcy City Council
A plan to build a new community center, outdoor water park and trails, as well as improvements to parks and sports complex was presented on Thursday night to the Searcy City Council.
These projects were at the top of the community’s list identified during the Master Planning process recently completed by engineering firm Crafton Tull. Community members completed surveys and participated in focus groups and walk audits during the plan development.
“We have spent the past two years listening to the needs of the community and now it’s our responsibility to develop a plan and give the citizens an opportunity to adopt it,” Council Member Don Raney said. “We are pleased with the direction of the plan, and we are excited to present it to the voters.”
“We asked professionals to develop plans and funding options based on the citizens’ highest priorities from the Master Plan,” Mayor Mat Faulkner said. “The strategy presented mirrors other Arkansas communities’ efforts to accomplish similar improvements by leveraging existing revenue, grants, A&P revenue, and a temporary sales tax.”
The A&P Commission will meet on Tuesday to discuss dedicating a portion of A&P revenue to select projects. If approved by the A&P Commission, the City Council will vote on whether to move forward with an election on March 5, 2024, to give the citizens an opportunity to fund the community improvement plan using current A&P revenues and creating a new temporary half-cent sales tax.
Faulkner went on to explain the impact this plan could have on Searcy.
“Beginning implementation of improvements identified through the master planning process would be transformative for our community,” Faulkner continued. “It's not only about investing in the community for our families; it's also about creating a city where businesses are eager to invest.”
The proposed projects include:
Community Center on proposed 125+-acre site. Amenities included based on recent community feedback collected by architects Polk Stanley Wilcox include:
Indoor basketball, pickleball and volleyball courts
Indoor walking trail and climbing wall
Exercise spaces
Community meeting rooms, including maker space, cooking classes and robotics
Senior center
Community café
Outdoor amphitheater
Outdoor trails
Water Park Complex adjacent to existing Indoor Swim Center
Zero-entry pool, tower slides, lazy river, diving boards & shallow-entry play pool
Paved Bike Trails
Connect Riverside Park and the new Community Center to the bike trail
Underpasses on Race Street at Berryhill Park and Beebe Capps at Harding to connect easily to current bike trail
Riverside Park Improvements
10 miles of single-track mountain bike trails and a new kids pump track
New park entrance from Hwy 13
New parking, restrooms, pavilions, picnic areas, lighting and safety items
Sports Complex
New entry to newly acquired site with 5 new baseball fields with turf infields
Improvements to existing baseball and softball complex
New field and improvements to existing fields and drainage at the soccer complex
Allocated space for Miracle League, inclusive playground & Veteran’s Memorial
Berryhill Park
Destination playground and splash pad
Food truck court
In addition to the Master Plan developed by Crafton Tull, the Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce and Searcy Regional Economic Development Council (SREDC) have been working on a strategic plan for economic development.
“We have met with experts from across the state to determine how to recruit high-paying jobs to Searcy,” SREDC Chairman Adam Hart said. “We have heard time and time again that we must improve our amenities in order to recruit new industries. This Master Plan from Crafton Tull will positively impact our ability to pursue industries that would bring new jobs.”
The temporary half-cent sales tax would bring the City sales tax to two cents, which is a common amount among communities around Arkansas that have made similar improvements, such as Batesville (2%), Benton (2.5%) and Cabot (2%).
The City encourages the community to stay informed and involved throughout the process. Community members can visit MySearcy.com to learn more about the Master Plan.