Justices of the peace vote to keep courts building in downtown Bentonville

BENTONVILLE — Benton County’s justices of the peace voted Tuesday to keep the courts in downtown Bentonville.

County Judge Bob Clinard made a presentation to the justices at their Committee of the Whole meeting, asking them to support his recommendation for a new courts building on county land near the Benton County Jail, the Road Department and the county’s public services building.

The Public Safety Committee earlier endorsed a downtown location for the building. The Committee of the Whole voted 9-3 in favor of keeping the courts downtown. Voting in favor of the downtown location were justices of the peace Sue Shadlow of District 2; Tom Allen of District 4; Kevin Harrison of District 5; Pat Adams of District 6; Joel Jones of District 7; Shirley Sandlin of District 8; Susan Anglin of District 9; Kurt Moore of District 13; and Barry Moehring of District 15. Voting against the motion were justices of the peace Jay Harrison of District 3; Tom Leadabrand of District 12; and Brent Meyers of District 14.

A study on a new courts building identified locations in downtown Bentonville and on county property on Southwest 14th Street adjacent to the Benton County Jail as potential sites for the building. Clinard said Tuesday both sites can work, but he favored SW. 14th Street, which is also Arkansas 102.

Clinard listed the reasons he favored the 14th Street location. He said the cost estimate of $24 million for that site is “very accurate” while there are many variables in building downtown that could affect the estimated $26.5 million in construction costs for downtown. He also cited access and traffic issues he said favor the 14th Street location, proximity to the jail, room for expansion and the disruption a downtown project will cause to the courts system and other downtown entities for the two or three years of construction.

Clinard also presented a different downtown option, developed by Core Architects of Rogers, that features a larger new building that doesn’t rely on space in the county’s older buildings.

The Walton Family Foundation and Downtown Bentonville have lobbied for keeping the courts downtown, citing the importance to the downtown economy. The foundation has provided a $2.9 million grant to do some renovation on the courthouse and has offered another $2 million for renovation if the new facilities are built downtown.

The justices of the peace stressed factors other than cost in choosing to keep the facility downtown.

Tom Sissom can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at NWATom.

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