BENTONVILLE -- Benton County officials on Tuesday reviewed the latest plans for a new building for the circuit courts and related offices.
County Judge Bob Clinard presented a pair of conceptual drawings and layout for expanded downtown parking for the county's Committee of the Whole. Clinard said his "bracketed budget" for the concept is in the same $25 million range as the other plan presented for downtown.
Courthouse work
Benton County is working to renovate the courthouse, with some of the employees of the prosecutor now working from the Massey Building. The Walton Family Foundation, which backs a plan to keep the circuit courts and related offices downtown, has given the county $2.9 million for the initial renovation and has offered another $2 million for additional work if the county chooses to keep the circuit courts and offices in downtown Bentonville.
"I don't think this would be any more than we've been talking about," he said.
Clinard said his concept is for a five-story building on Second Street with about 125,000 square feet of space. At a cost of $200 per square foot, he said, the building would cost about $25 million. At a cost of $250 per square feet, he said, the cost would rise to the $25 million to $30 million range.
"I don't see anything driving it up to the $35 or $40 million range," Clinard said.
Benton County officials have been discussing a new home for the circuit courts, judges and staffs, the prosecutor, public defender and related offices for the past few years. A study identified locations in the downtown Bentonville area and on county land on Southwest 14th Street, near the jail and Road Department.
The justices of the peace have recommended keeping the courts and other offices downtown and Clinard has been working to accomplish that.
The Finance Committee is working on paying for the courthouse project, estimated at $25 million. The committee has looked at a number of options, with a sales tax being the most-often discussed. Any sales tax increase would require voter approval and the justices of the peace have debated whether to aim for a vote on March 1 or wait and place the question on next year's general election ballot in November.
The committee also heard from Jason Sivils with Great River Engineering of Springfield, Mo., on the War Eagle Bridge. Clinard told the justice of the peace last week he planned to sign a contract with Great River to work on rehabilitating the bridge, which was built in 1908, with the goal of keeping it open for vehicle traffic. The state Highway and Transportation Department has identified several critical deficiencies in the bridge during state inspections and the county has reduced the weight limit on the bridge to three tons while trying to find a way to save the historic bridge.
Sivils told the justices of the peace his company has done work on many older bridges, some very similar to War Eagle Bridge, mostly in Missouri.
Sivils said the problems with this type of bridge largely stem from rust and years of use. He said truss bridges are prone to what he called "fracture-critical" problems that could lead to a sudden collapse with little or no warning.
"If one major controlling member fails the whole thing can collapse at any given time."
Sivils told the justices of the peace the company will spend 12 to 16 weeks inspecting the bridge and studying past inspection and engineering reports. He said the firm will meet with the state Highway and Transportation Department to discuss a reasonable goal for the bridge loading, the weight limit that will be approved for the bridge, and a program of work that could achieve that goal. He will present the company's report back to the county for public input and a decision by county officials.
In its other business, the committee recommended spending $252,100 to replace parts of the air-conditioning systems at the jail.
The justices of the peace also endorsed budgeting another $20,000 to cover the cost of the county's annual fall cleanup event.
Also Tuesday, the justices of the peace recommended the re-appointment of Rick Williams and Sean Collyege to the Planning Board. The appointments will be considered by the Quorum Court at its July 23 meeting.
NW News on 07/15/2015