BIG ROCK QUARRY PARK Reconnecting North Little Rock’s parks.

Big Rock was an operating quarry as early as 1849, mining predominantly sandstone and shale rock formations. The quarry was in operation for over a century surrounded by bluffs up to 200 feet in height; but now, the 64-acre site located along the Arkansas River sits largely vacant.

The former quarry rests between many important and notable neighbors, including the University of Arkansas Pulaski Tech and the Eugene J. Towbin Veterans Administration Healthcare Center at historic Fort Roots. The rim of the canyon is ringed by Emerald Park, and Burns Park is just north of the site. Nearby communities include Baring Cross, Rockwater and the Esplanade.

The Big Rock Quarry Park project proposes to create a new active lifestyle park that acts as a community hub and crossroad between all these important places. The vision for the park includes a new pavilion along the River Trail with retail and bathroom facilities and a large central green that could host events and space for families to romp and play. An outdoor amphitheater nestled against the bluff would create a world-class performance space. At the center of the park would be a large playground incorporating traditional, inclusive and adventure play components. The upper bowl of the park would be left as natural as possible while expanding the current mountain biking efforts to create a competition quality venue capable of hosting regional tournaments and festivals.

Since 2006, Central Arkansans have enjoyed the 15.6-mile Arkansas River Trail loop that connects the cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock. Along its length, users enjoy Little Rock’s Riverfront Park, First Security Amphitheater, the Clinton Presidential Library Center, multiple pedestrian bridges, four parks and the Big Dam Bridge. Unfortunately, the downtown North Little Rock section of the trail is often jammed up against the seawall, or strung through the middle of parking lots, or jiggered around awkward circulation for the previously mentioned pedestrian bridges. The primary issue is the seawall, which runs along downtown to protect the low-lying areas from flood waters. It is necessary, but unsightly.

The Riverfront Boardwalk project proposes to solve this problem by creating an elevated multiuse path that strings along the riverfront, reconnecting the urban fabric to the river and augmenting both existing and new programming along the riverbank. The boardwalk straddles the seawall spanning from the Clinton Presidential Pedestrian Park Bridge to north of the Broadway Bridge as a series of weaving and undulating ribbons that provide amenities and access to the River Trail.

The new boardwalk would extend from the Clinton pedestrian bridge (1), and provide connections to the downtown RV park (2), the Metropolitan Apartments (4), Simmons Bank Arena (5), the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum (6), Dickey-Stephens Park (8), the Broadway Bridge, and the Vue Apartments, before it merges into the Arkansas River Trail again (10). The boardwalk would enable multiple future economic development projects (3) and provide improved access for festival events like the Pulaski County Fair (7).

James Meyer, architect, Taggart Architects Brie Gregory, architectural associate, Taggart Architects

Small-scale urban infill in the Pettaway neighborhood.

Building off the success of the neighboring Pettaway Square development, the proposed Rock|21 project brings the principles of Lean Urbanism to the intersection of Rock and 21st streets. The project includes leasable spaces sized to keep tenant costs attainable for small and new local businesses while still unlocking the multiplier effect of density.

Rock and 21st streets are fronted by three-story mixed-use buildings populated by local restaurants, retail and commercial office space. Residential townhouses wrap around the commercial buildings, creating pedestrian courtyards. In the center of the courtyards is a mixed-use building that incorporates a first-floor covered patio with outdoor seating and a community event space above.

Parking for the development is nestled behind the townhouses and screened from Rock Street by landscaping and a micro commercial building facing the street.

Projects like Pettaway Square and Rock|21 are critical for urban neighborhoods like Pettaway to anchor themselves and provide all the basic services and amenities required for modern lifestyles in affordable and accessible ways.

James Meyer, architect, Taggart Architects

Brie Gregory, architectural associate, Taggart Architects

Mike Orndorff, developer, Pettaway Square

Adam Fogelman, VP, Common Ground Development

Dan Beranek, professional engineer, LR office president

Maneesh Krishnan, professional engineer, project manager (formerly with MCE)

Jeremy Waits, engineering intern, project designer

Austin Petty, engineering intern, project designer

Brett Budolfson, landscape architect

Edwin Hankins IV, landscape architect

Zhijiao Li, landscape architect

Peter Stanley, landscape architect intern (formerly with MCE)

Ruxin Tao, landscape architect intern

The Stifft Station commercial district, in what is one of the most progressive and dense residential neighborhoods in Little Rock, has intact commercial bones but is extremely underutilized. The Stifft Station intersection was developed in the early 1900s as the first stop on the westward section of the Little Rock trolley line. The existing architecture is of period and has its own subtle yet unique mix of styles. Many of the major New Urbanism principles in the neighborhood are already intact; the goal of this project is to apply the missing principles and vastly improve the well-being of an already great community.

The Markham Road Diet proposal converts a high-speed, relatively low-volume four-lane road to a two-lane road with turning lanes and significant pedestrian improvements. The four-lane is a barrier between two high-density residential neighborhoods: Hillcrest on the north and Stifft Station on the south, both of which have sidewalks and low-speed streets and are walkable. Markham is being redesigned as a high-quality pedestrian connector between the Stifft Station Commercial District and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences District.

A bit more design focus has been on the intersection and a couple of blocks at Markham and Kavanaugh at the commercial hub of Stifft Station, a retail corridor that aside from a restaurant or two is somewhat vacant due to fast traffic and insufficient sidewalks, which makes for nearly zero foot traffic and makes it hard for any type of business or retail to thrive. Widening the sidewalk to 12 feet and providing traffic calming as well as a landscape buffer will create a strong pedestrian scale, storefront access and destination gathering areas at the commercial core. This area will also include Little Rock’s first “bike through” intersection.

The engineering and construction drawings are nearly 100% complete and ready to give Stifft Station a stronger community presence, a higher walkscore and a higher quality of life.