Dream Appears Over For Park

Alcohol Issue, Price Tag Strikes Out Bentonville Proposal

Last updated Monday, May 5, 2008 7:29 PM CDT in News

By Richard Dean Prudenti
THE MORNING NEWS

A pending donation of 10 acres from Carroll Electric Cooperative has a lot to do with the commission's decision to consider building and managing its own sports complex, said Kalene Griffith, president of the Bentonville Convention and Visitors Bureau. The Advertising and Promotion Commission oversees the visitors bureau, which collects taxes on hotel stays and prepared foods.

The 10 acres abut Phillips Park, which boasts baseball and softball fields, two multipurpose fields, two small T-ball fields, open space for informal play, and a playground and picnic area.

Carroll Electric on Southeast Walton Boulevard, east of "Rainbow Curve," is south of Phillips Park.

"That's right in the heart of town, surrounded by hotels and restaurants. It works great. It will be the nicest facility in Northwest Arkansas because there aren't a lot of competitive tournament-quality fields," Sooter said.

The electric company has given the city permission to survey the land immediately south of the 40-acre Phillips Park.

"There is good faith on both sides," said Bentonville Mayor Bob McCaslin.

Part of the Big League Dreams model includes alcohol sales, just like at a professional ballpark. The company doesn't allow alcohol sales during children's events.

Sooter said he had reservations about the message the city would send if it allowed alcohol sales on public land.

Although he realized alcohol sales along with concessions and admission tickets are drivers to the organization's profitability, "If they don't have those components, they can't make enough money to maintain it or make it work," Sooter said.

Bentonville is in Benton County, which prohibits the sale of alcohol, except in clubs that have obtained a private club permit from the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control board, said Milton Lueken, an attorney for the state agency.

"The only way around it is for the voters to vote from dry to wet," Lueken said.

Mansfield was a dry city until voters voted to allow alcohol sales so Big League Dreams would approve development there.

Big League Dreams considers myriad issues when considering sites for development, including population and weather conditions -- both posing potential problems for Bentonville, said Pat Kight, a consultant with P.K. Consulting in Temecula, Calif. The consulting firm works with Big League Dreams.

The area's population falls short, as the company wants a population of at least 500,000 within 30 miles of the complex.

"Even if we did come (to Arkansas), we would have to be creative to keep the people at the park all year round," Kight said.

Northwest Arkansas' cold weather would have a hard time competing with consistently warmer climates such as those in Nevada, California, Texas and Arizona, Kight said.

Fast Facts

Dry, For The Most Part

Benton County is one of 42 counties among Arkansas' 75 counties that are dry. A private club license is the only way a business or government agency can legally sell alcohol in a dry county. The Alcoholic Beverage Control board issues these licenses. Benton County has 116 private clubs, the most private clubs in a county in Arkansas.

Source: Staff Report

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