FORT SMITH, Ark. — The Friends of Recreational Trails (FORT) proposed the purchase and repurposing of the historic Acme Brick Quarry and the placement of a park in its honor.
According to the Fort Smith Museum, Acme Brick merged with the Fort Smith Brick Company in 1923, and 100 years later the group represented by Michael Mings is proposing the city purchase and repurpose their former quarry. It would be known as Brick Yard Park, paying homage to ACME Brick.
Acme Brick closed their plant in 2018 and left only their showroom and sales office in operation. It left nearly 100 acres of land of what used to be the quarry and plant.
"I've had so many people come up to me and say we should do something with the Acme brick property, or turn it into a mountain biking Park," Mings said.
FORT had been discussing the use of the land for the past year. Ming said, "We have been talking about this park at every single meeting."
“We're referring to the concept as the Brickyard Park to pay homage to the quarry that was there and to the people who worked so hard doing the labor to build this community. They literally dug out the clay from the ground to create Fort Smith," Mings said.
The land is located at the intersection of South S Street and Old Greenwood Road. It surrounds the still-operating Acme Brick showroom and sales office. The property is 99 acres and is being sold in three parcels.
"Every time I pass there, it's such an eyesore. and turning it into something that this community would use would be fantastic," Fort Smith resident Jo Elsken said.
A conveyor belt ran across Old Greenwood Road for the plant's operations but was taken down when the plant closed. One of the many ways the proposal plans to honor Acme Brick is by adding a walkway to the area, named "The Conveyor." It would provide a safe passage for pedestrians across Old Greenwood.
"We definitely want to see bricks used on the trails and entryways. They would certainly be a main theme and the aesthetic of the park," Mings said.
Not only had Acme served the area through the quarry for 100 years, but South S Street has historically separated Northside and Southside both geographically and socially.
"All of these dividing lines that have existed in Fort Smith in the past, we hope to create a park where everybody ... can come to this space and be welcomed and gathered together," Mings said.
In the proposal, the portion east of Old Greenwood would be used for mixed development and a large 8.8-acre pond.
"We can really [impact the] flooding in Fort Smith. Water features like that also add themselves as amenities in the community," Mings said.
The west side would be home to a mountain biking park, a 4-acre pond, an amphitheater, parking, pavilions, a trail, and a play area.
"Building trails and parks is not cheap, but we believe that these are worthy investments to be made for the people in Fort Smith," Mings stated. "We think that offering things like this right in the middle of Fort Smith is going to be a way to build that biking community that gets people outside and gets people active."
The Parks Commission supported the proposal which then headed to the board of directors. Ming explained that the group hopes to work with the city on a creative funding strategy.
To see the full proposal, view the Fort Smith Parks and Recreation Commission May 10, 2023 Regular Meeting Agenda.
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