Arts area Phase I delayed to spring
El Dorado plans playscape, market
EL DORADO — Several months after its grand opening, the first phase of the Murphy Arts District remains uncompleted.
Construction issues, primarily finishing out property acquisitions, caused the delay, said Austin Barrow, president and chief operating officer of the Murphy Arts District. Barrow expects work to be done by spring.
But there is no time frame for construction of Phase II — an 8,000-square-foot art gallery with in-house artists’ quarters at the McWilliams Furniture Building and a renovated Rialto Theater for traveling Broadway productions and other live events.
Phase II is still under discussion at the executive level, said Chief Marketing Director Bob Tarren.
Barrow attributed the delay of Phase II to a lack of funding.
So, the focus is on completing Phase I: A children’s playscape — which is a full landscaped area designed for play, unlike a regular playground — and an open-air farmers market. They should be open by mid-May, Barrow said.
He said the plan includes running hills with tunnels underneath, a zip line and a slide that’s more than two stories tall, in addition to a splash pad that will give kids a way to cool off.
The playscape will include natural wildlife, specifically plants and flowers from Arkansas, which will be labeled to serve as educational elements for visitors. The back wall of the restrooms will serve as a projection screen, and there will be large baseball-stadium-style lights for night activities.
So far, none of the programming has been finalized. Barrow said planners would like to have educational programs and perhaps daytime services for children.
Asked if he had any worry about the playscape’s proximity to the city’s railroad tracks, Barrow said “none at all.” He said there will be a 12-foot-tall fence that will wrap around that side of the area. There will be only one entrance, and the landscape will be mostly evenly pitched so that parents won’t need to hover over their children in case they lose sight of them.
He said all 1.5 acres are designed specifically for play, from the moment a child walks through the winding run-path entrance.
The playscape will be on a lot just south of First United Methodist Church on Hill Street.
The farmers market should open around the same time as the playscape. Barrow said May through November is Arkansas’ peak growing sea- son, and officials plan to continue the partnerships they have built with local farmers through the Griffin Restaurant.
Barrow said he thinks it could be a good opportunity for customers of the restaurant to buy the same ingredients the restaurant uses and try the recipes themselves at home. Plans call for selling more than just fruits and vegetables. Barrow said planners would like to include everything from garden staples to beef and eggs. The farmers market will be adjacent to the district’s amphitheatre at 105 E. Locust St.
El Dorado City Council members Willie McGhee and Kensel Spivey said they feel positive about the district’s progress and mission.
Spivey said that while she is a little disappointed that Phase I isn’t completed yet, she understands how long a large project like this can take and hopes the district stays the course.
McGhee said he thinks the district is “excellent” and “a great opportunity for us to show that we have something for everyone,” referring to the diversity of performers the district’s organization has already put together since the October grand opening.