BENTONVILLE -- Benton County officials -- with a "95 percent" draft report on the courthouse project in hand -- say they look toward taking more concrete action in January.
Benton County Circuit Judge Doug Schrantz, who represents the six circuit judges on the proposed project, said coming changes on the Quorum Court and in the county judge's office could slow things initially.
Financial aid
Walton family interests have supported plans to keep the court and related offices in downtown Bentonville. The Walton Family Foundation made $2.8 millio available to renovate the courthouse and to buy land on Northeast Second Street. Walton family interests also have said they’ll build a parking garage on Northeast B Street, near the downtown sites, and make space available for county and courts-related parking if the courts stay downtown. The Walton offers reduce the estimated cost of a downtown building project by about $11 million, according to information presented by county consultants on the project.
Source: Staff report
"We don't know what it's going to look like in January with all the new people," Schrantz said. "So much of it is going to depend on the Quorum Court, and there's going to be six new justices of the peace. We're now entering our fifth year of talking about this. I hope we can reach some real decisions."
Officials have discussed plans for a building to house circuit courts and related offices for several years. An initial study identified three sites -- two in downtown Bentonville and one on Southwest 14th Street near the jail.
Three consultants developed and ranked six possible locations and configurations. Two options are shown for the site on Southwest 14th Street, one is for property behind the courthouse and three others are for property on Northeast Second Street, just off Bentonville's square.
The consultants ranked the sites on 10 criteria: the ability to meet the operational requirements of the courts and related offices; security; minimal disruption of ongoing courts operations; driving access to the site and traffic congestion; walking access to the building; walking access to amenities; contextual fit of the building with the surrounding area; expansion capabilities; constructability and cost.
One of the plans for Southwest 14th Street was ranked highest by consultants, with one of the Northeast Second Street options a point behind. The Option 1 plan on Southwest 14th Street carries an estimated cost of about $37.8 million. The Option 4 program on Northeast Second Street has an estimated cost of about $34.5 million, with about $11 million in incentives offered by Walton family interests factored in.
"Option 1 at Hwy 102/14th Avenue is the simplest option to construct with one of the lowest costs," the consultants wrote in their report. "While Option 4 on the whole north downtown site had a higher construction cost, the incentives offered to the county by the Walton Family Foundation lowered the project cost below Option 1, and allowed this option to surface as one of the highest ranking options. The logical next steps now reside with the Quorum Court. These next steps will likely include the final decision on which site/option is to be selected, the size of the project, if the old post office is to be demolished or sold, and the funding mechanism by the County."
The consultants asked officials to review the draft for the next two weeks and provide any comments for possible inclusion in the final report, to be delivered by the end of December.
County Judge Bob Clinard favors the Southwest 14th Street location. He said Friday he remains convinced it's the best location. Clinard said he'll suggest consultants reconsider their ranking and criteria and the inclusion of the $11 million in Walton family incentives as part of the site comparison.
"The rating system considered the $11 million the same as it does functionality, growth or expansion potential, transportation, parking and other parts of the building project," Clinard said. "Cost should be considered, but it should be put down below the function of the building. Just because we're getting money from an outside source that doesn't make the functionality rating closer. We need to look at what you need to make this work, then look at the costs. Either we'll pay for what we need or we'll go this other way because it costs less."
Clinard also was critical of the decision to include proximity to amenities as one of the criteria.
"Whether it's within walking distance of a restaurant?" he said. "What does that have to do with the function of a courthouse?"
Barry Moehring, justice of the peace and county judge-elect, was traveling Friday. He said he'd only been able to scan the report. Moehring said the report contains useful information, and he hopes the county can put the project on some kind of schedule next year.
"I think this closes this chapter," Moehring said. "We have a report full of good information that will be useful as we go on to the next steps."
Tom Allen, justice of the peace and chairman of the Finance Committee, said he plans to put financing for a courts building on the committee's agenda in January to keep the discussion moving. He said the county already has set aside some money for architects in the 2017 budget once the project gets to the point where detailed architectural drawings are needed.
"First, we have to pick a site," Allen said. "Legally, that's the county judge's decision, but I expect the Quorum Court to have some input. Once that site is selected and the scale of the building determined, we can pinpoint a pretty good estimated cost. Then we've got to figure out how we're going to pay for it."
Allen's preference is for the county to explore all funding options that don't include a tax increase first. Only if those options seem unworkable, he said, should a tax be considered. Allen said the other justices of the peace also will be heard on the funding question.
"I think it's going to be an open discussion," he said. "We need to let everybody voice their opinion and have their input."
NW News on 12/04/2016