Effort to relocate rodeo grounds delayed
An effort to relocate the Siloam Springs Rodeo Grounds has been delayed until further notice for financial reasons, city officials said in a workshop held by the city board on Tuesday night.
Intermittent discussions regarding the relocation have taken place as far back as 2001. In 2013, the city purchased a 20-acre plot of land located at 2251 S. Lincoln St. for $298,000 with the intentions of moving the arena and accompanying facilities to the property there, according to an October 2017 report from the Herald-Leader. In the city’s 2017 budget, $800,000 was allotted for the completion of the project, said Don Clark, community development director.
After the project was put out to bid in late 2017, the lowest bid they received amounted to $1.39 million. Due to increases in steel prices as a result of President Donald Trump’s implementation of tariffs on foreign steel, city staff estimated that this figure would increase to $1.46 million.
Clark also said that city staff made attempts to reach out to outside entities to help bridge the near $700,000 disparity. These included private companies such as Miller Coors, Wrangler Jeans, Polaris Sports Outdoors and Boot Barn, who all declined to offer a form of sponsorship or financial assistance. City staff also requested assistance from the Arkansas State Park and Tourism Board, who also declined, arguing that the Rodeo Grounds hosts more exclusive activities as opposed to places such as public parks that are more
inclusive for the community at large.
Unrelated expenses the city is facing are also obstacles hindering the relocation effort. These include plans for a second fire station and training tower for that fire station which is expected to cost $2.4 million, the prospect of a new city maintenance shop which is estimated to cost about $1.9 million and the likely possibility that the city’s fire, police and other various departments will be switching over to a new, countywide radio system, which is estimated to cost $1.7 million.
This is not the first time this year the city has held discussions regarding this price difference. After learning of the bid’s amount, City Administrator Phillip Patterson expressed opinion on the issue during his concluding comments of the city board’s Feb. 20 meeting, according to a February 2018 report from the HeraldLeader.
“So here we are in 2018 and we’re still having a difficult time trying to address this,” Patterson said. “There’s no question in my mind that relocating the rodeo grounds is in the best interest of the city. It’s in the best interest of the riding club and in the best interest of the community as a whole, but at this time, I can’t find a clear, financially feasible path to move forward to relocate the rodeo grounds.”
The sentiment that finding a fiscally-sound and timely solution to the issue appears to be one shared by some board members into today, such as Brad Burns, Ward 2 director.
“The question where we are at now is: We cannot afford (the relocation) right now, the tariffs will pass, I do not know if metal will go up or down, it is affecting my line of work, it has a large impact on America and I hope and pray that the president is doing the right thing,” Burns said. “But, in the meantime, here we are today, is (the relocation going to happen) a decade from now, is it eight years from now, is it 15 years from now, when are we going to move the Rodeo Grounds?”
Other board members, such as Bob Coleman, suggested considering alternative, less costly options such as using the $800,000 to fix the problems at the existing location, which primarily pertain to depreciating infrastructure and equipment. Coleman suggested that the renovations the property needs would likely not cost more than $800,000 and that such an investment could be effective in helping to offset the problem altogether.
Events occurring at the rodeo grounds are facilitated by the Siloam Springs Riding Club, which was founded in 1944. In 1958, they held the first annual rodeo for Siloam Springs, a tradition remains today with approximately 5,200 people in attendance this year. In 1964, the city granted the club a 99-year lease for the property they currently occupy on Cheri Whitlock Drive, which is why relocating the property will require bilateral cooperation between the club and the city. While the annual rodeo is the club’s largest event, they host an array of other events throughout the year that are available to a wide range of ages and skill levels.