Key Takeaways
- West Memphis, Arkansas breaks ground on a 76,000 square foot recreation and aquatics center at Tilden Rodgers Park, featuring five convertible tournament courts and an eight-lane competition pool
- The architect-led design build partnership between Project Luong and ARCO/Murray moved the project from concept to groundbreaking in roughly six months
- Community input directly shaped facility programming, with aquatics elevated after city leadership shared how a lack of swim access contributed to a local drowning death
- The design build model is estimated to have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in redesign and delay costs compared to traditional delivery
- The facility is designed as a multisport, aquatics-forward, convention-capable venue built to serve residents and attract regional tourism
**All imagery and renderings courtesy of Project Luong not for redistribution**
For a city of roughly 24,000 residents, building a major recreation facility is not a small decision. It requires voter trust, public dollars, and a project team that can deliver on what was promised.
In West Memphis, Arkansas, all three came together faster than most municipal timelines would suggest.
On March 18, 2026, the city officially broke ground on the West Memphis Recreation and Aquatics Center at Tilden Rodgers Park. The 76,000 square foot facility will include five tournament-ready basketball courts convertible to volleyball or up to ten pickleball courts, an eight-lane competition pool, therapy pool, fitness center, indoor walking track, community meeting rooms, and concessions. The courts also convert into convention and event space, giving the city flexibility beyond athletics.
The project was delivered through an architect-led design build partnership between Project Luong and ARCO/Murray. That model, and the trust between the teams and the city, is central to how the project moved from concept to construction in approximately six months.
YSBR spoke with Alec Luong, Managing Partner at Project Luong, and Jeff Schnoebelen, Sports Lead at ARCO/Murray, about the collaboration behind the project.
Six Months From Concept to Groundbreaking
Municipal recreation projects often follow a familiar cycle. Design a building. Price it. Take it back to council. Redesign. Reprice. Each turn adds months, burns soft costs, and erodes confidence.
West Memphis avoided that loop entirely.
“With architect-led design build, we flipped that sequence,” Schnoebelen said. “We set a realistic cost target off schematic plans, then deliberately designed to that number instead of designing in isolation and hoping it priced out later.”
ARCO/Murray’s construction team was embedded in the design process from day one, pricing off partial drawings, testing details for constructability in real time, and providing the city with credible budget and schedule data far earlier than a traditional path would allow.
Luong emphasized that speed never came at the expense of programming.
“The facility still needed to include everything that residents were expecting,” Luong said. “By collaborating early, we avoided designing elements that would later need to be removed for budget reasons.”
The approach is estimated to have avoided hundreds of thousands of dollars in redesign and delay costs alone, on top of broader construction savings.
**All imagery and renderings courtesy of Project Luong not for redistribution**
A Building That Belongs to West Memphis
One of the less visible but deliberate priorities was making sure the facility carried the identity of the city it serves.
“We made a conscious decision to root the building in the identity of West Memphis,” Luong said. “We embraced the color palette and visual language of the city and its Parks and Recreation Department. That shows up throughout the facility, from the exterior metal panels to the interior finishes, light fixtures, and even the city seal integrated into the lobby floor.”
Community input also shaped how the building functions. Residents consistently raised the importance of safety and visibility. In response, Project Luong worked with the Parks Department, local law enforcement, and sports planning consultants to design clear sightlines throughout the facility, allowing staff to maintain visibility across key areas.
**All imagery and renderings courtesy of Project Luong not for redistribution**
Aquatics as a Life Safety Investment
The facility’s aquatics programming took on deeper meaning after a moment during community engagement.
“The Mayor shared a tragic story about a man who lost his life during a flood because he did not know how to swim,” Luong said. “It was a sobering reminder that access to something as basic as swim education is not always available, and that it can have real consequences.”
That conversation shifted how the team approached the natatorium. The eight-lane competition pool and therapy pool are paired with dedicated learn-to-swim and rehabilitation space. The aquatics wing is designed to serve competitive swimmers, seniors in therapy programs, and children building water confidence for the first time.
“It is not just a competition pool,” Luong said. “It is a place where people can learn a life saving skill.”
Adapting Mid-Design Without Losing Momentum
Partway through design, the team made the decision to relocate the building within Tilden Rodgers Park. The move better integrated the facility with surrounding park amenities, improved circulation, and preserved long-term flexibility.
On a traditional delivery path, a site change of that scale can erase months of progress. In this case, it barely disrupted the timeline.
“Because we were operating as one integrated design build team with the city as an active third partner, we were able to re-plan the site quickly, keep pricing aligned, and stay on the original schedule,” Schnoebelen said.
Luong echoed that dynamic. “It was the right decision for the project. It allowed us to better integrate the facility with the surrounding park amenities and improve circulation, access, and future flexibility.”
Where West Memphis Fits in a Shifting Market
The facility reflects a broader trend in how municipalities are approaching recreation infrastructure.
“The market is moving away from single-purpose gym and pool boxes toward year-round, multisport platforms that double as community infrastructure and tourism drivers,” Schnoebelen said. “Cities want one building that can host local leagues on Tuesday, a regional tournament on the weekend, and a health and wellness program for seniors every morning.”
West Memphis checks those boxes. Five convertible courts, competition and therapy aquatics, fitness, walking track, meeting rooms, concessions, and convention-capable event space, all under one roof.
“Cities know their program mix and partners are going to change,” Schnoebelen added. “So we are designing these facilities as long-life community assets that can support sports and uses they may not even be running yet.”
A Template Worth Watching
Looking ahead, Luong sees the facility as a foundational piece of the city’s trajectory.
“I hope this is seen as more than just a building,” Luong said. “I see it as a hub for sports, wellness, and community life, and as one of the steps that helped continue the city’s momentum.”
For Schnoebelen, the project offers a replicable model.
“Multisport, aquatics-forward, convention-capable facilities delivered at a pace that keeps up with voter expectations and funding windows,” he said. “Credit to the City of West Memphis for being willing to break from the traditional playbook and lean into a more innovative delivery path.”
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