NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — What was once home to Arkansas’ largest water park is now a quiet, muddy lot—and city leaders say the vision for something bigger has come to an unceremonious end.
The long-anticipated transformation of the former Wild River Country site into a $25 million entertainment district has officially stalled, according to North Little Rock Mayor Terry Hartwick. After three years of minimal progress and more than a year of halted construction, the project appears to be dead.
“Right now, things are at a complete standstill—without a doubt,” Hartwick said. “They moved a lot of dirt, brought the land down but for some reason they just stopped.”
Progress on planned North Little Rock entertainment center at a standstill
The proposed entertainment hub—first announced in 2022 by Maly Construction Group—promised apartments, restaurants, a Tee Time golf center and even a bowling alley at the highly visible intersection of I-430 and I-40. The site, which once hosted the Wild River Country water park for 35 years, was considered prime real estate for revitalization…