It was a relatively quick night for the Bentonville City Council on Tuesday as they unanimously passed all items on the agenda.

After voting, council members shared updates from the committees they serve on. Here are a few updates from the official agenda, along with other items mentioned during this part of the meeting.

Wastewater Facility Improvements

The council voted to authorize the City to issue and sell a more than $97.7 million revenue bond to the Arkansas Development Finance Authority to finance improvements to the city’s wastewater treatment facility. The improvements will align with the City’s goal to improve water and sewer infrastructure as Bentonville’s population grows.

New Artwork for Trail Tunnel

City Council on Tuesday approved a request to install a mural at the trail tunnel at SW 3rd Street, just south of Coler Mountain Bike Preserve. The work, titled “All Bike(r)s Welcome,” is by local artist Paige Dirsken, in collaboration with the Northwest Arkansas nonprofit All Bikes Welcome. 

Dirsken is one of the artists behind the “Everyone Deserves A Bike” mural at Pedal It Forward in north Bentonville and “Bella Vista Wonder” at the Riordan tunnel in Bella Vista. 

Dirksen was awarded a Bentonville Moves Coalition grant of $2,500 to execute

this mural. The Bentonville Advertising and Promotion Commission is providing an additional $1,700.

RedBall Is Here

The RedBall Project, a 50-pound, 15-foot inflatable mobile sculpture, is traveling through Northwest Arkansas, with its first stop in Bentonville today. The RedBall is located in the alleyway at 112 W. Central Ave. There is an artist talk tonight at 21c Museum Hotel at 6 p.m.

The RedBall returns to Bentonville on Sept. 15 in the alleyway at 130 W. Central Ave.

“This piece of art has been in over 40 cities around the world, including cities like Abu Dhabi, Paris, and now it’s made it to our town,” said Councilwoman Beckie Seba at Tuesday’s council meeting.

Library Expansion Project

Rendering courtesy Bentonville Public Library

The Bentonville Public Library will be closed for four weeks from Sept. 29 through Oct. 27 to prepare for the grand opening of its new space. The expansion project has been ongoing for three and a half years and adds 22,975 square feet to the existing library, along with renovations of the current building and outdoor features. 

Included in the design is an expanded youth services area, with dedicated storytime and craft rooms, a new and larger community meeting room, and a makerspace and digital lab.

The library will host a series of ribbon cuttings and dedication ceremonies throughout the day on Oct. 30.

Groundbreaking for 8th Street Gateway Park

The City of Bentonville is hosting a groundbreaking event for 8th Street Gateway Park at 1815 SW 8th St. on Thursday, Sept. 12 at 5 p.m. There will be live music, free food and site tours sponsored by Bentonville Moves. 

The 8th Street Gateway Park project is a nearly 100-acre park planned for the west side of Bentonville, featuring a destination playground, beginner mountain biking track, skate park, pavilion, ecological area and more.

The estimated timeline for completion is 18 to 24 months. 

Progress on Quilt of Parks

The A Street Promenade walkway in front of the Benton County Courthouse is expected to open Friday, the second phase to the Quilt of Parks project. Construction will begin on the next phase in a few weeks.

“We are juggling several construction projects in this very small area right now and we think it’s best for our downtown businesses and patrons for us to just ‘press pause’ in this space so we won’t have too much going on in such a small area,” David Wright, Parks & Recreation director, wrote in an email.

The Quilt of Parks project is a pedestrian-friendly plaza that will connect six parks and public spaces in Downtown Bentonville: Lawrence Plaza, the Square, Dave Peel Park, Town Branch Park, The Commons, and the Activity Center Park. 

The full project is expected to be complete by the summer of 2025.

Other Items

In all, the City Council voted on 12 items, including an amendment to a portion of the future land use map, contractor services for intersection projects, and grant applications for two Bentonville Municipal Airport projects.