FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
April 12, 2019
 
Contact:
Ted Jack
Park Planning Superintendent
Parks & Recreation Department
479-444-3469
tjack@fayetteville-ar.gov
City Seeks Public Input for Cycling and Other Amenities at the
New Centennial Park at Millsap Mountain
 
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.— The City of Fayetteville invites residents and other interested parties to a public input meeting for the Centennial Park at Millsap Mountain Master Plan. The meeting is Wednesday, April 17 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Owl Creek School Library (375 N. Rupple Rd.).
 
Centennial Park at Millsap Mountain will be a cycling-activated park with state-of-the-art cyclo-cross and mountain biking facilities. Residents will be able to access trail infrastructure unlike any other in the region within an area of preserved greenspace connected to neighborhoods and Fayetteville’s existing 45 miles of shared-used paved trails and 38 miles of natural-surface trails.
 
The epicenter of the park is being developed for activities that attract visitors to the region and create an economic impact. World-class cyclo-cross, mountain bike, and running courses will include trails with multiple surfaces and features that build users’ skills. In February of this year, the City received notification that Fayetteville was selected to host the prestigious 2022 Cyclo-Cross World Championships. The event will bring visitors and riders from all over the world to enjoy the park and everything that Fayetteville has to offer. While courses at the park are being designed to provide unique biking experiences, training opportunities, and to host the Cyclo-Cross World Championships, the park is also being designed to provide many different activities for all residents to enjoy during non-cycling events.
 
The City of Fayetteville purchased the 228-acre property on Millsap Mountain, northwest of Highway 62 and I-49, from Centennial Bank in 2018. Partial funding for this project was supported by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation. The parcel’s topography features several flat acres at the crest surrounded by both steep and rolling hillsides. The property is perfectly suited for event spaces of all types and the public input session will allow the community to provide feedback on these various activities and uses of the park.
 
Development partners include NWA Trailblazers, a non-profit organization that will manage the project. At Wednesday’s public meeting, NWA Trailblazers and the City’s Park staff will be presenting initial conceptual drawings of the Master Plan and ask participants to browse the drawings and submit ideas and feedback. 
Preliminary information can be viewed at www.fayetteville-ar.gov/centennialpark. Residents will be able to learn more about the project, view the conceptual drawings, and submit ideas both at the meeting and via the SpeakUp Fayetteville website beginning April 17. SpeakUp Fayetteville is an interactive forum for residents to stay informed and be engaged with major projects affecting our great City. The website address is www.fayetteville-ar.gov/speakup.
 
Comments can also be submitted by email parks@fayetteville-ar.gov, by phone 479-444-3471, or by mail to Parks and Recreation Department (113 W. Mountain St. Fayetteville, AR 72701). The comment period ends at 9 a.m. on May 13, 2019.