Segann March

segann.march@shreveporttimes.com

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The 5.1 acre dog park locals have long been waiting for is being pushed back again – to early fall.

Shelly Ragle, Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation director, said the project originally was set to be completed this summer, but recent flooding has dampened progress.

City accepting comments on dog park

What looks to be construction activity can be seen at the future park's location, between the Stoner Avenue skate park and the parking lot of the Stoner Avenue boat launch, but Ragle said dirt is being moved there because of the area being impacted by high Red River waters.

Bids for construction, budgeted at $208,000, are to go out next week. About $27,000 has been spent in the design phase.

The Shreveport Dog Park Alliance and SPAR entered contract last April with local landscape architect Lloyd Overdyke.

The total budget for the park is $308,100. No testing of the soil has been done and no materials have been purchased yet, according to Ragle.

SPAR expects to have bids back by the end of March.

Dog park design to be revealed at public meeting

"The solicitation will hit what we call bid sync...and from that day it's about 30 days to get the bids back," Ragle said.

Cynthia Keith, Shreveport Dog Park Alliance, said whether the park opens in summer or fall – she's just glad it's coming.

Some features she said park goers can look forward to include berm tunnels dogs can run through, and even tunnels for their younger human counterparts.

A pet memorial wall with reflective tiles will "bring Heaven to the dog park," Keith said, calling it one of the most beautiful elements of the design.

Shade areas with eaves that are to blend in with the hilly landscape will shield dogs and their owners from the sun. For dogs who love the water, there will be a pond and beach.

Several pet and owner side-by-side fountains also are planned for the park, which will be divided into large and small/shy dog areas.

Keith said Overdyke's design is unique in that it reflects the area's natural landscape.

"It's something the rest of the country does not have just in the way it was designed," she said. "We gave $28,000 and we feel that we got our money's worth. It's a very special design. We're hoping (the park) opens in the fall because we feel that's a great time, because the heat of the summer should be behind us. We're just keeping our paws crossed that we'll be opening up those gates in the fall."

Plans for the park have been in the works since 2007, when the alliance first spoke with former Mayor Cedric Glover.

When plans for the park were stymied, Keith sued Glover in March 2013, demanding that he sign an agreement to accept $280,000 from Red River Waterway Commission for funding a park at Charles and Marie Hamel Memorial Park, the original proposed location.

Keith won the suit, but Cedric appealed. An alternative agreement was approved by Shreveport's City Council that would protect the city from additional expenditures associated with the park.

Want to see the dog park yourself? Click here.

What to expect