OurLeisure

Vision 2017
Leisure & Entertainment
Terrance Armstard/News-Times
Signing Off: Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson writes his signature on the topping beam while attending the dedication ceremony for El Dorado’s new Arts and Entertainment District on Oct. 11.
AS rts, entertainment district to open in 2017
pring 2017 will be a historic season for entertainment in El
Dorado and Union County. That’s when the first phase of the Murphy Arts District is expected to open with a barrage of
entertainment.
The first open house
for the arts and entertain- ment district was held in February by El Dorado Festivals and Events, and the open house attracted hundreds of visitors.
Long lines filled with eager people awaiting to see the latest progress wrapped around the build- ing for the first peek at the new venues.
“We had about 375 res- ervations of people who RSVP’d,” said Austin Barrow, president of El Dorado Festivals and Events, Inc. “It looked like closer to about twice that many came.”
The tour began in what will soon be the farm- to-table restaurant. The restaurant will hold around 168 guests and will have a bar in the center of the room. On the back wall, there will be a 28x20 foot cabaret stage. It will be open seven days a week and they are looking at having events two to three times a week on the caba- ret stage.
The historic Griffin building originally opened in 1929 as a car dealership and gas station. The orga- nization is utilizing histor- ic tax credits for its reno- vation and development.
There are specific rules that have to be followed. For example, in the design they aren’t allowed to add any walls or attach anything to the building so improvisations were made. To be able to sepa- rate the kitchen from the dining room, a wall was built made completely of glass. “
You will be able to see everything going on in the kitchen,” Barrow said.
There will also be an exclusive VIP membership area. The area will contain a balcony, bar, dining area, and separate entrance and bathrooms.
The amphitheater is going to be the largest out- door green space in south Arkansas. There will be seating for 1,200 people and placed on two acres of grass. The southern pavil- ion will be utilized as a concessions area and the northern pavilion will be
Taking The Tour: Dan Smith, vice president of hospitality and operations for El Dorado Festivals and Events, discusses construction during a tour of the Griffin Building in the Murphy Arts District on Feb. 11. (Below, right) Visitors attend an open house tour of the Griffin Building for El Dorado Festivals and Events in the Murphy Arts District.
for selling merchandise. The outdoor area will also double as a farmers mar- ket two times a week.
Dan Smith, vice presi- dent of hospitality and operations, is working to source with the Arkansas Department of Agriculture an additional 15 to 25 farms to come from as far as 200 miles.
“The reason they’re interested is because this will be a farm-to-table restaurant,” Barrow said. “We are going to need to source their produce, meat, eggs and dairy. We are going to be encourag- ing other restaurants in town to utilize those same sources.”
On the other side of the amphitheater by the church, there will be a two-acre playscape for children. A playscape is a specialized playground for kids and will be complete- ly covered with play equip- ment. It will be themed with the flora and fauna of the state of Arkansas, including a three story slide that will be covered with critters such as but- terflies.
In addition to the play- scape, there will be a half- acre children’s splash pad, which will be open during the summers. There will be a 14 ft. gate that sur- rounds the area with only one way in or out.
“You can walk in with your kids, sit at a bench right at the entrance, and they can run and play,” Barrow said.
The music hall stage is considered to be a full size rock and roll stage. “What that means is that there’s not an act currently tour- ing the world that we cannot fit on this stage,” Barrow said. “This is the biggest one you can ask for.”
The audio is being pro- vided by Klipsch, which is an Arkansas audio company based in Hope. They are building equip- ment custom made for the venue.
The music hall can seat up to 2,100 people and for standing room, up to 3,500. Seating can be as small as 200.
Underneath the music hall is where all of the concession and restrooms
will be. There are cur- rently 15 stations available to be used as concession stands.
The downstairs area also has access to the amphi- theater, so when there is an outside concert, guests can use the restrooms and concessions under the music hall.
There will be four lev- els of memberships avail- able for purchase, includ- ing a family package, that can be renewed annual- ly. Information on mem- bership availability will be announced at the end of March or beginning of April.
To date, El Dorado Festivals & Events has raised over $65.5 mil- lion with donations and pledges from Murphy Oil, Murphy USA, The Walton Family Foundation, City of El Dorado Economic Development Tax, The Murphy Foundation, Deltic Timber Corporation and numerous individual donors.
Phase Two will encom- pass the historic Rialto Theater, which will be restored to its origi-
nal 1929 interior, and become a Broadway Play venue. In addition, plans call for the McWilliams Furniture building, across the street from the Griffin Auditorium, to be trans- formed into a three-floor art museum called the McWilliams Gallery.
A possible connection to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville is being dis- cussed.
In addition to the above
projects, a black box stu- dio for smaller entertain- ment attractions will be part of the Phase Two construction, and a block north, around the court- house square, several other entertainment ven- ues are being planned.
The overall budget of this ambitious entertain- ment project is approach- ing $100 million.
The Murphy Arts District is set to open in September.