Bentonville opens pieces of Quilt of Parks

Bentonville plans to open the second phase of its Quilt of Parks project this week, just about a month after beginning the first phase, city parks officials told Axios.

Why it matters: It's a step toward downtown's parks being connected via a walkable promenade.

• Parks director David Wright anticipates the public will get excited once the second phase — the downtown area in front of the courthouse that will go from being a roadway to part of the walkway — is complete.

State of play: Freshly renovated Lawrence Plaza, or the first phase of the project, opened Aug. 9 and will continue to transform into an ice rink during winter. The project was delayed (mostly by weather), but that didn't stop crews from starting the second phase; hence, the back-to-back openings.

• The $31 million Quilt of Parks endeavor includes new playground equipment at Dave Peel Park, plus an amphitheater space for public events, including concerts.

The big picture: Right now, the downtown square serves as a little hub for people come see, grab a meal and then leave, deputy parks director Josh Stacey said.

• "The promenade is going to create a place you're exploring for hours," Stacey said. "You may come for brunch and find yourself needing to eat dinner now because you went down and saw the museum and the different shops and all of a sudden you've been here four or five or six hours."
• In addition to being a public space for recreation and leisure, Wright said he hopes the project also creates retail opportunities downtown and ends up significantly impacting economic development.

What's next: Expect work in front of Tavola Trattoria and Tusk & Trotter to begin after Labor Day and continue through the end of the year. The city expects to start work on the parks in spring 2025.