El Dorado arts district construction schedule receives update

EL DORADO — In recent months, El Dorado Festivals and Events, Inc., has announced firmer details about the construction schedule for its $80-plus-million project to develop an arts and entertainment district downtown.

With the vision of the massive plan starting to take shape in physical form, the city of El Dorado is continuing to offer assistance by determining its role in the various elements the construction phase.

Work has already begun on phase one, which is expected to be completed by September 2017. Phase two is slated to start immediately afterward and will entail the renovation and expansion of the Rialto theater and a conversion of the McWilliams building on the corner of Washington and Locust into art gallery and artists’ quarters

In June, Austin Barrow, president and chief operating officer of Festivals and Events, told city officials that each phase is expected to take 18 months to complete.

Barrow was discussing the project with the El Dorado City Council and the El Dorado Works Board while presenting an economic development funding request of $9.47 million.

A portion of the amount, $6.27 million, was left over from $9.02 million the city awarded in 2013 from the former El Dorado Forward tax.

The remaining $3.2 million came from the El Dorado Works tax, which went into effect last October and dedicated $5 million toward the implementation of the El Dorado Arts and Entertainment District.

Barrow explained then that the money awarded by the city is being directed toward components of phase one, which includes the transformation of the Griffin Auto building into cabaret/music hall/restaurant; an amphitheater/ open-air market; children’s playscape; and a reconfiguration and beautification project for Oil Heritage Park.

A portion of the initial 2013 award — $2.75 million — was spent on downtown sidewalk improvements, and earlier this month, the city council passed resolutions on a warranty deed to purchase the Oil Heritage Park property for $416,879.02 and to lease it to Festivals and Events for 99 years for a fee of $10.

Barrow said the city sales tax dollars will also cover the construction of the

amphitheater/open-air market on property that is adjacent to the Griffin building and a children’s playscape on 1.5 acres next to First United Methodist Church.

The El Dorado Water Utilities is homing in on the playscape project, which will include wet and dry areas in a gated enclosure.

During an El Dorado Water and Sewer Commission meeting last week, Mark Smith, general manager of the water utilities, said the EWU has met with festivals and events and is planning meetings with the contractor of the project.

“We want to be aware of what the utilities need to have done and when to have it done, so we’ll meet with (Milam Construction),” Smith said, adding that the focus of the discussion will be plans for a children’s splash pad.

“It’s probably only going to be used four or five months out of he year, but I think there’ll be a larger use of water than we thought,” he said.

He said the meeting will also help identify the wastewater services that will be needed for the splash pad.

Robert Edmonds, city director of public works, said he also plans to meet with Milam Construction to determine his department’s involvement, if any, in the project.