(Editor’s Note: Each year, Arkansas Business partners with the Arkansas Municipal League to present the Trendsetter City awards, which recognize exceptional initiatives underway in municipalities across the state. Large, medium and small-sized cities were honored in six categories: Diversity and Inclusion; Education/Workforce Development; Infrastructure and Water; Public Works/Environmental and Green Management; Technology and Security; and Tourism Development/Creative Culture. Below is one winner’s story. For more, click here.)
Diversity and Inclusion
Winner • Over 20,000
Population: 54,164
Mayor: Stephanie Orman
County: Benton
Region: Northwest
The Challenge
For over two decades, Bentonville cricket players used Phillips Park, a baseball complex, as their designated playing field. Since 1998, the number of cricket teams expanded from two to 32 with over 500 players in the league. Based on data from the 2020 Census, approximately 20% of the city’s population is of Asian descent. Establishing a park in the southwest corridor of Bentonville was identified as a top-tier priority in the Play Bentonville Master Plan.
The Creekside Park project cost $7.9 million and was primarily funded through park impact and capacity fees.
The Solution
Creekside Park, a 35-acre expanse, offers a designated cricket field and embraces a holistic approach to community development. At the heart of the park stands Upper Cut, a sculpture by Alvaro Bonfiglio, shaped like an oversized cricket bat gripped by magic gloves. Bentonville chose this art installation because it “carries a profound message that resonates with Bentonville’s richly diverse population” and “pays homage to the heritage of residents whose countries of origin hold cricket as a cherished sport.”
Hop On
The park’s design includes the 1.6-mile Little Osage Creek Trail bike loop, feeding into Bentonville’s evolving trail system, which fosters outdoor recreation and connectivity.
Sign up for Daily E-news
