Good news for Fido: Dog park coming at river

Construction is starting on a dog park like none other in the Memphis area.

Mud Island Dog Park will offer the usual: Fenced space so dogs can be unleashed, separate spaces for small and large dogs, water fountains for both humans and canines, along with shade, benches, picnic tables — even a mister.

But unlike the ones at Overton Park, Shelby Farms and other places, this dog park will offer expansive views of, and cooling breezes from, the Mississippi River.

The 2-acre, $475,000 facility is being built in the 105-acre Mississippi River Greenbelt Park. Its specific location is immediately south of the roundabout at the intersection of Island Drive and Willis Avenue.

Dogs are not strangers to the linear park with a 1.5-mile walking trail, but rules prohibit owners from letting them off-leash.

Nearby residents on Mud Island and their city councilman, Berlin Boyd, pushed for a dog park there, said Mike Flowers of the Division of Parks & Neighborhoods. He’s a landscape architect who is administrator of the division’s planning and development department.

“A lot of people live on Mud Island; the density is really high,” Flowers said. “And so they were looking for a dedicated space for off-leash (use). A lot don’t even have a back yard.

“Of course, it will be open for any citizen to use.”

By midweek, the park boundaries had been staked out and some construction equipment started showing up.

There are a couple reasons why the dog park will be far from the center of Greenbelt Park. (It’s toward the western end).

It’s a flat 2 acres and, “it’s never flooded as of yet,” Flowers said. Most of the rest of the park slopes down toward the river and typically floods each year.

“There would be no driftwood to clean up after a high-water event,” Flowers said.

Construction should take about 90 days.

The park also will provide: An acre for large dogs and of an acre for small dogs; 10 parking spaces for cars; a chain-link fence that is vinyl-coated; a concrete path to the roundabout; and 41 trees and 18 shrubs.

And reflecting a bit of city of Memphis humor, port-a-potties will be available for humans while repurposed fire hydrants will be installed in the middle of both the large- and small-dog areas.