BROOKLAND, Ark. (KAIT) – After years of debate, a multi-million dollar proposal to build a new sports complex in Brookland has been shelved.
At a town hall meeting on Monday, September 26, the Brookland council voted not to build a sports complex west of Highway 49.
When the city planned this complex, it budgeted $2.3 million. Due to rapid inflation, however, plans for the complex are being shelved.
“I’m concerned that inflation has driven up the price of what we can do as planned,” said Brookland Mayor Kenneth Jones.
Inflation has affected everyone differently. According to the National Association of Home Builders, the price of basic building supplies has risen 33% since the start of the COVID pandemic.
Brookland resident and travel ball mom Stacy Walker said she and her family enjoy traveling for the sport, but it gets old after a while. He said building a complex closer to their home could save them hundreds of dollars and help the Brookland community.
“The bigger tournaments we travel to, they would be in St. Louis, so a lot of our dollars go there,” Walker said.
Walker says it’s more than just a complex, as families like hers take their money elsewhere to offer as much in Northeast Arkansas.
“We want to keep our tax dollars local and we have so much to offer here and we would bring so many more people,” Walker said.
The city said it is sacrificing some of what it promised Brookland residents to try to keep the cost down, including a dog park and a small children’s park.
Mayor Kennett Jones said they will go back to the drawing board. He said the council will come up with new plans and present them again at a later meeting.
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