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Cultural Arts Corridor Brings Improvements to Dickson

Many improvements are coming to Fayetteville after the city council passed a bond initiative to fund several projects, one of them is the Cultural Arts Corridor.

The City of Fayetteville recently passed a bond initiative to fund several exciting projects. One such project is a Cultural Arts Corridor (CAC) off Dickson Street near the University of Arkansas. The CAC will connect the Walton Arts Center, TheatreSquared, Nadine Baum Studios, Fayetteville Public Library, and the University of Arkansas’ Art and Design District.

The City of Fayetteville engaged with local residents and business owners to develop and design CAC. One major concern of residents and businesses alike surrounded parking. The corridor design repurposes an existing surface parking lot across the street from the Walton Arts Center. The city has committed to replacing proximity parking to the corridor and doing so prior to beginning construction of the CAC.

The CAC will create a recreational hub and public gathering space. The proposed design of the corridor combines playful recreational elements, public art, streetscaping, enhanced pedestrian paths, and open-air gathering spaces while integrating the natural landscape within the urban fabric. This project has the potential to transform downtown Fayetteville into an environmentally-friendly and welcoming space for the entire community.

With the addition of the CAC, trails around the area will be expanded, and lighting and other safety measures will be installed. Along the trails, small gathering spaces – for resting, yoga and other activities – will be added. Symbolic of the transformation and regrowth occurring, the trails will be cleared of invasive plants, allowing native Ozark plants to thrive. The additional connecter trails will maximize tree preservation. Some trails will be elevated, with bridge-like structures, providing different vantage points for the rugged terrain.

To increase the water-quality of streams feeding into Beaver Lake, the area’s primary drinking water, the proposed design for the CAC’s sidewalks and street parking will be uniquely designed to filter contaminated run-off water. Rock lined rain gardens as well as grated parking spaces, will assist in filtering debris. The water will then run through an underground storm water storage system which will prevent flooding during times of heavy rain.

Not only will the CAC provide timely improvements to Dickson Street, it will provide a family-friendly community gathering space that will serve Arkansas residents for years to come.

inVeritas organized and facilitated of the City’s public engagement sessions for the Cultural Arts Corridor, gathering vital information that assisted in design development. For more information, contact our team.