A dedication ceremony for Sponsor’s Plaza on the Hot Springs Creek Greenway Trail (HSCGT) is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 27, 2019.
The ceremony is will honor those who donated time and/or money in support of the HSCGT, and the public is encouraged to attend. It will be held at Sponsor’s Plaza at the corner of Valley and Maurice streets. Parking will be available on Goodwin Alley, which will be blocked to thru traffic between Grand Avenue and Maurice Street. Light refreshments will be served following the dedication.
Sponsor’s Plaza features a sculpture by Jean Fo – “Equator” (1984), and three interpretive panels that include the following:
• A list of more than 280 contributors to the HSCGT, including businesses and organizations, city board members and city staff, the Citizen Steering Committee (1993), individuals and land donors.
• A detailed map of the HSCGT.
• A history of the Hot Springs Creek trail, which explains that the first to travel this path were prehistoric animals. Later, Native Americans (particularly the Caddo), took the route, followed by French trappers, Spanish trekkers, and the Dundbar and Hunter Expedition well before the railroads brought health seekers and celebrities (from Jack Dempsey to President Franklin D. Roosevelt).
The Hot Springs Greenway Trail is a multipurpose 12-foot wide trail corridor that currently spans 2.5 miles along Hot Springs Creek. When completed, it will run a total of 4.2 miles. It offers alternate transportation, recreation, cultural, natural, and educational opportunities. When completed, the trail will connect Historic Downtown to a wetlands park at Lake Hamilton. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the trail.
The Greenway Trail sections are listed below:
• Transportation Plaza Trail (1/4 mile): Transportation Depot south to Grand Avenue safety crossing; includes RV day parking, a sculpture garden and veteran’s memorial, and the Historic Downtown Farmers & Artisans Market
• Valley Street Creek Walk (1/2 mile): Grand Avenue south to Belding Street; includes the Recycle Center, Valley Street Skate Park, pedestrian bridge crossing, picnic tables, benches, and a drinking fountain
• Jaycee Trail (1/3 mile): Belding Street south to the railroad trestle (runs along the Boys & Girls Club baseball fields); includes scattered picnic tables and parking at Scott Street and Shady Grove
• Hollywood Trail (1/2 mile): Hollywood Avenue south to Chelsea Street; offers creek views and an
overlook, restrooms, and a drinking fountain
• Utility Service Center Trail (1/2 mile): Chelsea Street south almost to Golf Links Road; features creek views, elevated boardwalks, and overlooks
• Future trail sections will run south to Lake Hamilton (approximately 1.2 miles)
For more information about the Sponsor’s Plaza Dedication or the HSCGT, contact the Hot Springs Parks & Trails Department, 111 Opera Street, at 501-321-6871, visit www.cityhs.net/parks, or “like” their page on Facebook.
Photos available on the City’s Flickr account https://www.flickr.com/…/hotspring…/albums/72157709248760548