The Memorial

This one isn’t in Ohio

WHILE many of us were watching The Memorial at Muirfield Village over the weekend, other, more local types were concentrating on the Memorial right here in Little Rock: War Memorial Park.

It appears that while the city of Little Rock was conducting some housekeeping on deadlines and requests for proposals, an ember of controversy threatened to reignite a wildfire at the park.

For about a year now, there’s been talk about what to do with the park now that drivers-and-wedges aren’t part of the background. Since golf operations stopped last summer, the city has been trying to figure out how to use the place. Back in January, a “mayoral task force” suggested new ways for folks to enjoy the park.

And for once, a task force came up with good ideas: The group wants lots of open space, small ball fields, a bike park and a dog park. Plus a playground and an open-lawn stage. In short, the task force apparently wants to keep the park a park. With all the fixin’s.

Except the request for proposals on the matter is narrowly tailored. So much so that some folks get the idea that the city wants a Topgolf at War Memorial.

A Topgolf and Little Rock would be a great combination.

But Topgolf at War Memorial Park? That’s another combination, and not as appealing.

Would a giant net to catch range balls really be an addition to the park, especially adjacent to I-630? We saw one of these places on the outskirts of St. Louis recently, and that’s where they belong: on the outskirts of town.

We could certainly see such a facility around Bass Pro Shop. In fact, many of us would be delighted to see such a place around Bass Pro Shop, where outdoorsy types could make a day of it at one interstate exit. And a night of it, too. We imagine Topgolf and Drive Shack probably do a lot of business at night, as do movie theaters. They’ll need a lot of parking. All of that sounds like several square pegs trying to fit into 18 round holes at War Memorial Park.

The mayor of Little Rock seems a cautious politician, and that’s meant in a good way. These days, that has to be pointed out—moving with care, attentiveness and civility is a trait we want in our elected representatives. Frank Scott Jr. said the city is just having a conversation with itself at this point, and the request for proposals “does not mean a decision has been made. It literally means to see what is out there. We do not know what’s out there. I will say that the city of Little Rock is more than social media and a quick survey.”

It certainly is. But to listen to city directors, their constituents are sounding off. And a lot of folks don’t like the idea of plopping down a Topgolf or something similar on Markham Street. Or maybe they like the idea of a lot of open space better.

Either way, a decision seems to be weeks, if not months, away. And we’ll bet a lot of people in Little Rock want it that way. Let’s see the details. Let’s talk about dog parks and ball fields. Let’s talk about commercial activities vs. bike paths. And let’s do it all without discouraging Topgolf or Drive Shack, which could be great additions for the city in another location.

Let’s get it right, y’all. Because once this decision is made, it’ll be nigh-impossible to reverse it.

This calls for immediate discussion.