Little Rock receives $30 million Bezos Earth Fund grant for 30 Crossing Park
The City of Little Rock announced July 7 that it received a $30 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund to support development of 30 Crossing Park, a planned public-space project in the downtown River Market area.
Mayor Frank Scott Jr. announced the grant, according to the city. The funding is a confirmed award for the park’s development, not a confirmation that the park is complete or under full construction.
The city describes 30 Crossing Park as a newly established 23-acre park. It is intended as part of a broader downtown master-planning and revitalization effort.
Plan would reclaim highway-adjacent land
The park proposal includes reclaiming downtown land associated with concrete, highway infrastructure and off-ramps. The grant is intended to advance that planned redevelopment of land in and around the River Market area.
That makes the award significant for a downtown project centered on converting land shaped by highway infrastructure into public park space. The approved sources identify the grant as support for the park’s development, but do not establish the precise work the money will fund.
In particular, the announcement does not say whether the grant is limited to design, construction, land work or a combination of those purposes. It also does not provide a full budget for 30 Crossing Park. The $30 million grant therefore should not be treated as the project’s total cost.
Separate from citywide parks fundraising goal
The project is distinct from Little Rock’s broader 30 for 30 initiative, which seeks to raise $30 million by 2030 for parks across the city. That initiative’s citywide fundraising target matches the amount of the Bezos Earth Fund award, but the two figures refer to separate efforts.
The city’s description of the park’s footprint also differs from related project coverage. The city identifies a 23-acre park, while Arkansas Business described the project as roughly 20 acres. The available sources do not explain the difference, so the acreage should be understood as an unresolved variation in project descriptions rather than a settled measurement.
Timeline remains undisclosed
No construction-completion date or other next project deadline was included in the grant announcement. The available information also does not specify a construction start date.
For now, the central confirmed development is the grant award: $30 million from the Bezos Earth Fund to support the planned 30 Crossing Park in downtown Little Rock. Further city or project updates would be needed to establish the final footprint, full financing plan, scope of grant-funded work and construction schedule.
Sources
- City of Little Rock latest news, City of Little Rock
- Little Rock Lands $30M Bezos Earth Fund Grant for 30 Crossing Park, Arkansas Business
Look for updates to this story
Discover more from Interactive News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.