NORTHWEST TERRITORY : Guests get a peek at Hobbs State Park visitor center
Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008
The first public gathering at the
new Hobbs State
Park-Conservation Area visitor center appropriately was for members of the Friends of Hobbs volunteer organization. A near-record turnout of the park’s friends showed up Sunday evening for their annual meeting and a guided tour of the facility led by park superintendent Mark Clippinger. Although the state-of-the-art center on Arkansas 12 east of Rogers isn’t fully finished, it was apparent why it will be regarded one of the finest in the state park system. The exterior of the 17, 000-squarefoot center — with its “barn-style” architecture of stone, timber and metal — is complete. Much of the surrounding infrastructure is either complete or very close, including parking area, filtered drainage system and, most notably, the geothermal wells that will provide heating and cooling for the center. Clippinger spoke at length about how much care is being taken to not only have the center blend naturally into its setting, but also to make it an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly facility.
With the center on track to be finished by February, an eye-catching example of progress Sunday was the nearly complete work on the boulderlined replica of a mountain stream that will encircle three sides of the center.
The stream begins with a pool to the right of the entrance, narrows to a winding course past the entrance and onward to another pool. The stream then wraps around the east end of the center and descends to flow under a stone bridge before wrapping around the back side to a waterfall feature and another pool.
Flower beds going in beside the stream are being planted with native plants to complement the natural setting.
Clippinger noted that landscaping costs often are the first to be cut when building budgets become tight, but the downturn in the area’s construction activity resulted in lower-than-expected bids for materials and labor.
“So we were able to save our landscaping,” he said.
At the east end of the center, Clippinger pointed out two concrete aprons that will form trailheads — one leading to nature trails along a ridge and the other to an open-sided “education pavilion” to be built later in the same style of the center.
Inside, the main entrance hall with its soaring ceiling and rear wall of windows overlooking the stream and wildlife-watching area was complete enough Sunday for the Friends of Hobbs to set up tables and chairs to accommodate the nearly 100 members attending the meeting.
To the right of the entrance, Clippinger showed the area to be occupied by a large gift shop, as well as a wing of offices for park staff.
To the left is a long hallway bordered on the front side of the center by two large classrooms for use by area grade-school kids. Clippinger said the design and finishing touches of the classrooms benefited by matching and improving on those of other state visitor centers.
“We will be focusing on education programs for fourth-graders to complement what the Ozark Nature Science Center is already doing with fifth-graders.” Clippinger said in reference to the well-known outdoor education center located in the Madison County Wildlife Management Area near Forum.
The right side of the hallway is mostly open to the backside of the center and features a long gallery where major exhibits will be housed. A separate room near the gallery entrance will serve as a theater where visitors can view a film introducing them to the park.
Another side room of the gallery will be transformed into a stone-lined bat cave, while the entire east wall will feature a floor-toceiling replica of the area’s porous limestone “karst” environment of sinkholes, springs and caverns.
The exhibit area also will include interactive computers to inform visitors about the flora and fauna of the park, its history and its trails. Visitors with iPods and MP 3 players, for example, will be able to download programs for self-guided hikes along the various trails.
“This exhibit hall will have $ 800, 000 of exhibits that will be among the nicest in the state,” Clippinger said.
Finally, he led a tour of the special feature that would set the new center apart from all others in the state — a full-size basement level.
Besides housing a lot of electrical and plumbing infrastructure, part of the basement is being finished out as a maintenance shop, while the rest of the cavernous space will be used for storage and, more importantly, future development.
“In the future, the cave room upstairs will have an elevator that will lower visitors down to a large cave here on the lower floor with passages and formations and all,” Clippinger said.
The original budget for the center was $ 4 million. Clippinger said about $ 4. 2 million has been spent or allocated so far, and that could rise to $ 5 million by completion.
Center officials hope for an unofficial opening as early as February. The grand opening is set for April 16.
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