Pinnacle Mountain is a popular tourist attraction located in Roland, just west of the city of Little Rock, that seems to have outgrown its current visitor accommodations over the past few years. The architecture company says the new visitor center will be located on the lower west side of mountain, and will “weave through the trees as a structured, undulated canopy, lightly rooted into the sloping site and forming a gateway to not only Pinnacle Mountain, but all of State Parks.”
A brochure provided to open house attendees by state park officials estimates the cost of the new center to be $8,787,395. Plans include an 8,191-square-foot, glass-walled interior space under a long pavilion, looking out onto a covered patio with restrooms, bike racks, interpretive exhibits and seating.
Administration offices, visitor reception and an information desk with a retail sales counter would be located inside the building, while food and beverage concession sales would occupy a separate structure.
An estimated $800,000 would go toward indoor and outdoor educational exhibits, designed and built by Taylor Studios Inc.
The existing entrance to the day-use area would be closed and a new entrance built off Arkansas 300. Park patrons will also be glad to learn that plans include about 100 new parking places to be added, as well.
The project will be funded using revenue collected under the state’s existing one-eighth percent sales tax which is devoted to conservation.
In addition to Polk Stanley Wilcox, the project team also includes Ecological Design Group, Inc., McClelland Consulting Engineers, Inc. Pettit and Pettit Consulting Engineers, ECI and Taylor Studios, as well as The State Parks of Arkansas.
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