War Memorial Park

[Aporkalypse]

Is their really a need for another public library? I noticed every plan included this. I say upgrade the tennis center (I don't play), close the golf course, expand the zoo (our zoo is horrible), Ray-Winder needs to be torn down, leave the rest for open park space (ie Central Park) w/ several gathering areas. The lake idea was a decent one.

[EJC]

You and I are on the same page. If anything a Children's library would make more sense downtown, preferably in the old Cox Building whose utility has been very difficult to figure out since it was purchased by the library and converted. That would allow it to be in the same library complex with the main library and Butler Center.

I'm for closing the golf course because it costs 2/3 of a million a year to keep it open, while Hindman breaks even and Rebsamen rakes in money - offsetting War Memorial's losses. That's a lot of money that could be used for the zoo and the rest of the park.

As for closing Fair Park I agree with the rest of you. The Fair Park exit provides the main access to Kavanaugh and Hillcrest via Van Buren (and via this area also to Riverdale to an extent). Monroe doesn't have that connection and this would cause significant traffic flow problems. Now perhaps Fair Park could be lowered and the surrounding park land raised so that multiple pedestrian bridges without much grading coule be used. and it could also be closed to large vehicles. That might help some. Closing it completely is ludicrous.

[cozmosis]

And why does it lose money? Because it isn't used enough and it's a lousy course. Eliminate it, there are other, better options.

[EJC]

With ball fields as some people suggest?

If the plan is another set of ball fields -- which you can find anywhere -- then I say keep the golf course. If the plan is something new and unique to the city, I might be game for change.

[Scotto]

"The course is lousy, relatively unused..."

That is a self-fullfilling prophesy. It's like the tennis courts, or anything else for that matter. It you don't maintain it, it's not going to be used.

Drop the kind of money that was put into Rebsamen GC into War Memorial GC, and there would no doubt be an increase in use. Plain and simple. The use of a golf course is directly related to the quality of the course. The layout of the War Memorial is exceptional. It's short, which is good for inexperienced golfers and low-handicappers the like. It is in mid-town, which makes it very accessible to many kids and others wanting to learn the game. It has water, hills, dog-legs, blind shots, all of the things that make a course interesting. Hindman GC is too difficult for high-handicappers (it's a great course for those with more refined skills), and Rebsamen is nice, but it's just another course.

Keep War Memorial. Rebuild the greens and the players will come.

[Aporkalypse]

"The course is lousy, relatively unused..."

That is a self-fullfilling prophesy. It's like the tennis courts, or anything else for that matter. It you don't maintain it, it's not going to be used.

Drop the kind of money that was put into Rebsamen GC into War Memorial GC, and there would no doubt be an increase in use. Plain and simple. The use of a golf course is directly related to the quality of the course. The layout of the War Memorial is exceptional. It's short, which is good for inexperienced golfers and low-handicappers the like. It is in mid-town, which makes it very accessible to many kids and others wanting to learn the game. It has water, hills, dog-legs, blind shots, all of the things that make a course interesting. Hindman GC is too difficult for high-handicappers (it's a great course for those with more refined skills), and Rebsamen is nice, but it's just another course.

Keep War Memorial. Rebuild the greens and the players will come.

[Scotto]

I'm not sure why we need a "giant clubhouse", nor why they need to teach lessons at War Memorial. Just because the par 3's are not 180 yards plus doesn't make them unworthy. Holes 1, 4, 9, 11, 15, 16, and 17 all have unique features and challenges, and all are worthy of saving.

[Aporkalypse]

I'm not sure why we need a "giant clubhouse", nor why they need to teach lessons at War Memorial. Just because the par 3's are not 180 yards plus doesn't make them unworthy. Holes 1, 4, 9, 11, 15, 16, and 17 all have unique features and challenges, and all are worthy of saving.

[Scotto]

Imagine a round of golf in 2 1/2 hours - on a well maintained course (if you're not a golfer, trust me, that would be sweet). If WMGC got the attention (money) that RGC gets, we'd need tee times to play. Like I posted earlier, if you don't maintain the course, play drops off, which equates to a cut in the budget because no one plays, which means conditions get worse, which means play drops off further, and the cycle continues...

And then someday, somebody says "let's close the golf course because nobody plays there".

[LRU1967]

War Memorial doesn't have the size nor surroundings to become a serious municipal golf course like Rebsamen or Burns Park. Rebsamen was blessed with being a large enough parcel of land to allow for a full-sized golf course (which WM is not) and to have parts of the course run along the Arkansas River and those beautiful bluffs. It's a golf course crammed between streets with 2/3 of the land it needs. Not to mention the fact it becomes a parking lot several times a year. Rebsamen is the old Riverdale Country Club, it was designed to be a 1st class golf course. War Memorial was the product of the city cramming a golf course onto a piece of land just because they wanted to build one, despite the obstacles to doing so.

You can't upgrade it to the point where it will generate revenue. Where do you build a giant clubhouse with ample parking? Where do you teach lessons, etc? Where do you have the land to take some of those short par 3s and make them par 4s or at least standard par 3s?

[EJC]

Imagine a round of golf in 2 1/2 hours - on a well maintained course (if you're not a golfer, trust me, that would be sweet). If WMGC got the attention (money) that RGC gets, we'd need tee times to play. Like I posted earlier, if you don't maintain the course, play drops off, which equates to a cut in the budget because no one plays, which means conditions get worse, which means play drops off further, and the cycle continues...

And then someday, somebody says "let's close the golf course because nobody plays there".

[Aporkalypse]

I went to the zoo last night to take in "Boo at the Zoo", I hadn't been for a couple of years while I was in Dallas.

Althought the materials were a bit cheap, I really liked the relocated entrance complex and the wrought iron fencing/entrances were a considerable improvement. I'm going to have to check it out in the daytime, though it looks like little else has changed.

I thought the original War Memorial Midway wooden carousel looks great in the zoo. I'm glad to see it preserved.

[Architect]

I went to the zoo last night to take in "Boo at the Zoo", I hadn't been for a couple of years while I was in Dallas.

Althought the materials were a bit cheap, I really liked the relocated entrance complex and the wrought iron fencing/entrances were a considerable improvement. I'm going to have to check it out in the daytime, though it looks like little else has changed.

I thought the original War Memorial Midway wooden carousel looks great in the zoo. I'm glad to see it preserved.

[tangle]

It is great to see the "renovated" carousel that I used to ride when I was little (and we rode it last night as well!), but l'm just going to go ahead and reiterate my complete disgust with the quality of the "improvements" of the zoo.

[turboturtle]

I remember Over the Jumps having more of a pastel color theme than the primary colors in the carousel structure. I know that my memory is both flawed and of a ride that's many paint coats past the original color scheme. But the newly restored color scheme of the original will still take some getting used to.

[Aporkalypse]

It is great to see the "renovated" carousel that I used to ride when I was little (and we rode it last night as well!), but l'm just going to go ahead and reiterate my complete disgust with the quality of the "improvements" of the zoo.

The tacky vinyl-sided "farm" look (with the dated "green" roof no less) is such a complete and total catastrophe....and all of this across from one of the nicest municipal projects - the beautiful War Memorial Fitness Center, which appropriately references the park and zoo history by using natural stone veneer, etc. It looks as if the design concept was "Jim Walter Homes" - I cannot fathom why or where this came from since the timeless LR Zoo aesthetic was the CCC natural stone vernacular, etc. I cannot overemphasize the total crappiness of the zoo entrance. It is truly an embarassement. Yes, we should legislate "taste"!

[Architect]

Again, I'd like to reiterate that I liked the relocated entrance and iron gates. I said I wasn't a huge fan of the cheap materials and I was speaking specifically of the siding and metal roof. However, I think if you replaced these with a stone facade and more natural materials it would be perfect.

The major problem with our zoo is an utter lack of funding, via taxes or donations. Little Rock (and Arkansas) don't really support the zoo. I'm sure if the coffers were full the building would look the way we want it to. I was a huge supporter of the push for the Clinton Library but taking $6 million away from the zoo always irked me. Apply that money to the new zoo entrance and what do you think we'd have?

I'd like to see a small Pulaski Co millage-based tax to support the zoo the way we do the libraries and Ark Children's Hospital. I think that would allow for considerable zoo improvements at little cost to individual taxpayers.

[Scotto]

I'd like to see our county FIX THE JAIL before we spend money on the zoo. Any and all additional millage-based taxes must go to fix and maintain the jail. After that is complete and we're not letting criminals walk, then we can talk about the zoo.

[Architect]

I'd like to see our county FIX THE JAIL before we spend money on the zoo. Any and all additional millage-based taxes must go to fix and maintain the jail. After that is complete and we're not letting criminals walk, then we can talk about the zoo.

[Aporkalypse]

I wholeheartedly agree. Funding is a real problem, and it wouldn't take much to really make a difference.

[EJC]

I hope someday a private foundation will donate a substantial sum for naming rights. I'd be willing to see it renamed the "Donald W Reynolds Zoo", "Stephens Zoo" or "Rockefeller Zoo" for $20 mil in zoo improvements.

Everyone keeps talking about the push for additional land, which the zoo DOES badly need. I haven't seen much talk at all about how to address the funding needed to fill an expanded zoo with animals and attractions.

[Aporkalypse]

Ditto that for the jail. What we need is corporate sponsorship for the jails!!! Imagine the "Welspun County Lockup" or the "Holding Tank sponsored by Landers". Now THAT would be SWEET!