The Downtown Springdale Alliance received $593,000 in gifts today, setting the stage for major changes in one of Northwest Arkansas’ most important downtowns.
The largest gift of $493,000 was provided by Care Foundation, a fund managed by the Endeavor Foundation that supports a variety of Northwest Arkansas quality of life projects. Anita Scism, president and CEO of the Endeavor Foundation, announced the grant just after lunch to a crowd of more than 200 people gathered at Shiloh Square in downtown Springdale.
The other contribution of $100,000 came from Tyson Foods, one of Springdale’s largest employers.
The funds will be used to improve downtown by razing large buildings on Mill Street and then putting Walter Turnbow Park where they stood. The Razorback Regional Greenway, a 36-mile paved cycling and pedestrian path from Bella Vista to Fayetteville, will go right through the park.
Turnbow, who got the honor of taking the first swing at one of the old buildings today as he celebrated his 90th birthday, currently serves on the Springdale Public Facilities Board. The former chairman of First State Bank of Springdale was a longtime member of the Beaver Water District Board, the Springdale Water and Sewer Commission, the Springdale School Board and was a former chairman of the Arkansas State Board of Education.
