Pineville To Build Recreation Center

The city of Pineville will build a recreation center, Mayor Gregg Sweeten announced Tuesday.

"The city council and I have been working on a location for over a year now," Sweeten said. "So, this morning the city has purchased two properties that sit next to our redeveloped Myers Park, our community center and city hall. These two properties will have the homes removed that currently sit on them, and this will be the site of our new recreation center. We feel that this project will take shape over the next three to five years and will provide some great things for the folks of Pineville."

Sweeten added that last year the city partnered with the EPA out of Atlanta, Ga., and they connected the city with the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design.

"We provided them with some things we wanted to do in town and they ran with the ideas and put them down on paper for the future of our city. These students came to town numerous times, visited with members of the community, the council and the planning board and even flew a drone over the city and the Elk River watershed as well. One of the ideas provided to them was the building of a recreation center in town."

He noted the city has received several designs for the rec center from the University of Arkansas architecture students.

Sweeten continued, "We want the rec center to reflect the history of Pineville as well as a modern touch and include various activities for young and old alike and even a possible children's splash pad."

The mayor said the city spent a total of $120,000 on the two properties where the recreation center will be located. He said he did not know what the city's budget for building the recreation center will be.

What kind of activities will be available in the center?

"We've talked basketball court and walking track, the possibility of a splash pad and even the possibility of a pool," the mayor said. He explained that a planning group will be organized to help make those decisions.

"I think this will be good for young and old," said North Ward Alderman Becky Davis. "All ages of the community can benefit from this."

Sweeten said, "It's exciting. We want to provide somewhere for our kids to go as well as our older folks. Our kids are our future. Our older folks are our treasure. We're lucky to get to do something like this, not just for Pineville, but for the area."