ROGERS -- Main Street Rogers officials said earlier this week the organization will move from the City Hall Annex at Fourth and Chestnut streets to the former City Hall building at Third and Poplar streets.
Benton County used the space for satellite offices for several years before buying the former USA Drugs building at 15th and Walnut streets earlier this year. County offices moved in March clearing the way for the city to use the space.
At A Glance
Building History
The former City Hall building at Third and Poplar streets has a history spanning several decades. The building was a Masonic Lodge, where the DeMolay held dances, before the building was bought for use as City Hall about 1985. City offices moved into the current building at 301 W. Chestnut St. in 2006. Benton County leased the space in 2007 as a courthouse annex and used it until March.
Source: Staff Report
Main Street Rogers officials voted to accept Mayor Greg Hines' offer to make office and storage space available to Main Street.
"I think its a great idea," said Paul Hively, chairman of the Main Street board. "We will be able to have storage and office space in the same building, something we don't have now."
The move to the building has several benefits, said Dana Mather, Main Street Rogers interim executive director.
"We will have additional meeting space, office and storage space in the former city hall. We will also be very visible on that heavily traveled intersection," Mather said.
Rogers has provided office space for Main Street for several years.
"We've never had the visibility that the new location will offer us," Mather said. "It should be helpful to our organization. It also gets us closer to the historic downtown district on First, Second, Walnut and Cherry streets, where we stage the majority of our events."
Storage space is just as important to Main Street officials as the office space.
"We have a lot of stuff -- from banners to T-shirts to signs and even paper plates, napkins and plastic, knives, forks and spoons. It will be nice to have our supplies in the same building with us," Mather said.
Main Street officials stored items in a building on Second Street next to Rogers Water Utilities.
There are at least two other city or city-related offices that may use space in the former City Hall.
Members of the Gateway Planning team, which is working on the downtown economic development plan, wants office space during the year-long study, according to city officials.
Rogers Historical Museum officials have said they need space in the building, which is a block from the museum.
"We need additional storage space," said John Burroughs, museum director. "We are fast running out of storage room."
Storage for the museum may be more challenging than for Main Street.
"Our exhibits and other museum pieces need to be in a climate-controlled environment to protect the items from heat, cold and moisture. We also need good security," Burroughs said.
Burroughs said he wants additional office space because there's very little office space in the museum at Second and Cherry streets.
"We all share offices. No one has an office by themselves. It would be nice to spread out a little bit," Burroughs said.
The former City Hall will require some renovation to fit the needs of new tenants, Hines said.
"We will have to get with Main Street and museum officials to work out the details. It will depend on the scope of the work each department needs before we know when the renovation will begin," Hines said
David Hook, city facilities management director, said Wednesday that Main Street might be able to move into the building in July.
"It depends on a lot of factors. We have to know what Main Street wants and configure the interior of the building to fit their needs. I don't know what walls we will need move or build until we work out the details," Hook said.
"Once we know what's needed it shouldn't take too long for the renovations. It's just a matter of moving walls and electrical connections to fit the new scheme," he said.
NW News on 04/24/2014