ROGERS — Benton County officials, searching for more office and parking space, may move satellite offices from what was once Rogers City Hall at 300 W. Poplar St. to the former USA Drug building at 1428 W. Walnut St.
County Judge Bob Clinard announced earlier this month he is considering a move from the Poplar Street building the county leases for $1 a year and buying the USA Drug building, listed for sale at $1,052,000.
“I made an offer on the building, but haven’t gotten a counteroffer,” Clinard said last week. He refused to disclose the amount of his offer because the sale is being negotiated.
If a deal can be reached, Clinard said he plans to move the county appraiser, tax collector and the state Department of Finance and Administration office out of the former City Hall.
“We will continue to utilize the building on Poplar Street. I plan to leave the county clerk’s office and records storage, the Benton County Historical Preservation Commission and a public defender’s office at Poplar Street,” Clinard said.
County officials signed a five-year lease on the former City Hall in September 2006. City officials agreed to lease the building to the county for $1 per year, but the cost of utilities, taxes, repairs, alterations and fixtures is the county’s responsibility.
The lease expired in September 2011, said Greg Hines, Rogers mayor.
“Nobody knew the lease expired. The county continue to pay the city a $1 for the use of the building. We discovered the lease had expired after Judge Clinard announced he was considering moving to a new location. I guess we have been leasing the building on a year by year basis,” Hines said.
The original lease allowed the county to extend the lease for five years if done so within the 30 days prior to the expiration of the original term of the lease.
“I’m fine with the county continuing to lease the building,” Hines said. “I’m equally OK with the county’s attempt to buy a vacant building in Rogers. Both actions are good for the city.”
Lack of parking and the cramped space in the Poplar Street building is the driving force behind the effort to find another location, Clinard said. He said he felt it is time for the county to own a building rather than lease a building.
“I’m thinking about the long-term needs of county residents. One dollar a year is a great price, but we need to expand. I don’t think we want to buy additional property near the Poplar Street building when we don’t own the building. We can still use the former City Hall, but we need a building of our own,” Clinard said.
At A Glance
City Hall History
There are two former City Halls in downtown Rogers. The oldest, at 214 W. Elm St., was built in 1929 with $45,500 in bond money and dedicated on Nov. 11, 1929. The building was designed by A.O. Clarke, a famous architect who designed several Rogers buildings. The building, now vacant, is owned, by Randall Mott, a former Rogers resident who is an executive with General Motors. He could not be reached for comment.
The building housed city offices, and the police and fire departments for many years. The American Legion and the Boy Scouts were allowed to use part of the first floor for their meetings, according to Gaye Bland, director of the Rogers Historical Museum. The city clerk, the mayor’s office and sleeping quarters for firefighters was on the second floor. At one point, city leaders considered making the top floor an auditorium, but scrapped the idea, with the thought the third floor could make a good hospital. That idea was also scrapped when city officials learned an elevator would be needed for it to be used as a hospital. Eventually, city officials put the municipal library on the top floor, where it remained for several years. The municipal courtroom and council chamber were eventually located on the third floor.
A Fire Department expansion in the 1950s was designed by Belle Dinwiddie, a female architect working in the area. The building was used as City Hall until 1985 when officials moved into the building on Poplar Street. The police and fire departments moved from Elm Street later as new facilities were built. City Hall is now located at 301 W. Chestnut St. City officials moved into the current building in 2006.
Source: Staff Report
Clinard said city officials refused to give the county the building.
“The USA Drug building is 10,000 square feet of open space and has 61 parking spot available and is more handicapped friendly,” Clinard said. “In this economy, buying a building is a no-brainer. If we outgrow the building in 10 years, we have an asset we can sell to build or buy something that fits our needs in the future. ”
County officials have mixed reaction to a possible move.
Tena O’Brien, county clerk, said she wants to stay in the Poplar Street building.
“I don’t like moving. With the other offices gone, we would have plenty of room for early voting and parking. I would rather stay here than move, but I will go with whatever is decided,” O’Brien said.
Gloria Peterson, county tax collector , said she looks forward to moving.
“We don’t have nearly enough parking downtown. The building would give us more meeting rooms and office space. The revenue office said they wanted to move to wherever we move, and they just hired a new employee. We really need the space and additional parking,” Peterson said.
At this stage, the situation is flexible, Clinard said.
“We’re just talking right now. Firm decisions will be made when, and if, we are able to purchase the old USA Drug building,” Clinard said.
Residents who use the satellite office expressed mixed feeling about the possible change.
“I think it would be good for the office to move from downtown,” said Josh Mills of Lowell. “The office would be easier to find on one of the major streets in Rogers, and it would be more accessible.”
Steve Shepard of Pea Ridge said he is fine with the move.
“There will be better parking at the other location, and it would be a bigger building with more room. It gets kind of crowded in this office,” Shepard said as he went to pay his taxes.
“There is a lot more traffic on Walnut Street than there is here,” said Ashley Basslios of Rogers. “I think the office is fine where it is.”