FAYETTEVILLE -- City officials are interested in-- but not committed to -- buying the building the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce has called home for 45 years.
Steve Clark, chamber president and CEO, announced plans last week to move the chamber's offices to the second floor of the Bradberry Building, 21 W. Mountain St., where Tiny Tim's Pizza, Jammin' Java and West Mountain Brewing are located.
Fun Fact
The building the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce owns at 123 W. Mountain St. was built in 1960, according to Washington County land records. Steve Clark, president and CEO, said, before the chamber bought the building, it was three separate commercial storefronts. Past businesses included Edward’s Barber Shop, the Cameo Jewelry and Engraving Shop and Dixie Radio & TV Supply, Sales and Service, according to old city directories.
Source: Staff Report
"We plan to be occupying that building no later than Jan. 1, 2016," Clark said Wednesday.
The building, once it's owned by the chamber, will also house a "maker space" for the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub. Plans call for a third-floor meeting space to be built and made available for lease.
The chamber plans to sell the building at 123 W. Mountain St. The nearly 6,000-square-foot building is listed at $998,000.
Clark said the chamber owned the front half of the building for 24 years. The back half was purchased in 1994.
Clark said he discussed the move with city administrators before last week's public announcement.
"We felt like since we're partners with the city in so many things, we should tell them before we told the world and let them know that the building was going to be for sale," he added.
Mayor Lioneld Jordan was out of state on vacation this week.
His chief of staff, Don Marr, said he didn't want to speak for Jordan on his level of interest in buying the chamber building. But, Marr added, the city's building maintenance supervisor was asked to inspect the building to see if it would be suitable for city use.
"I certainly think it's logical for it to be evaluated by the city when it's surrounded" by other city buildings, Marr said Wednesday. "At the same time, we don't want to have space just to have space. We have to have a need for that space, because there's a cost associated to it."
The chamber offices are sandwiched between the City Administration Building and the Development Services building, where the city's Planning, Engineering and Community Services divisions are located. The District Court building and the Police Department are around the corner at 176 S. Church Ave. and 100 W. Rock St., respectively.
The GCM Building, 101 W. Mountain St., where GCM Computers, the Fayetteville Underground and Nu Fangled Images are, is the only building on the entire block privately owned.
City administrators last took a close look at space needs in 2011 when they considered buying the East Square Plaza building on the east side of the downtown square. That was for a complete relocation of city hall, however, not an addition to it.
Marr said, if the city bought the chamber building, it would probably be used for some kind of public-facing space, such as a Parks and Recreation office where residents could sign up for sports leagues and summer camps or an expansion area for Police Department administration.
Outside of those uses, the city doesn't have many space needs, Marr added.
Unlike the sale of municipally owned property, which has a full process spelled out in city code, buying property simply takes a recommendation from the mayor and a vote of the City Council.
Clark said the chamber plans to sell the building with or without interest from the city. He said chamber officials already turned down a private offer and are talking with a potential buyer whom Clark declined to name.
NW News on 07/03/2015