BENTONVILLE -- Benton County's justices of the peace endorsed a downtown Bentonville site for a courts building on Tuesday, giving County Judge Barry Moehring the green light to proceed with the project.
The Committee of the Whole met in special session Tuesday to brief the Quorum Court's seven new justices of the peace on the status of the project. At the end of the meeting, the panel approved a motion for a "straw vote" supporting the Second Street location consultants on the project identified as a possible location.
What’s next
Benton County Judge Barry Moehring said he’ll bring a resolution supporting a site on Northeast Second Street in Bentonville as the site for the proposed courts building to the next Committee of the Whole meeting. The committee is set to meet at 6 p.m. March 14 in the Quorum Courtroom in the County Administration Building, 215 E. Central Ave. in Bentonville.
The motion was approved by a vote of 10-2, with Bob Bland, justice of the peace for District 11 and Brent Meyers, justice of the peace for District 14, voting against it. Shirley Sandlin, justice of the peace for District 8, abstained. Pat Adams, justice of the peace for District 6 and Adriane Carr, justice of the peace for District 10, were absent. Voting in favor were justices of the peace Mike McKenzie, Josh Bryant, Barney Hayes, Tom Allen, Bill Burnett, Joel Jones, Susan Anglin. Michelle Chiocco, Kurt Moore and Joel Edwards.
Moehring spoke in favor of the downtown location. He thanked the committee for their support and but much work remains.
"I know this was a hard decision," Moehring said. "It's not your last one."
Moehring said he will prepare a resolution supporting the Second Street site as the location for the proposed building for the next meeting of the Committee of the Whole, set for March 14. He said he'll initiate the process of drafting a request for qualifications for architectural design work on the building.
County officials have discussed plans for a building to house circuit courts and related offices for several years. The county's six circuit courts are spread among four locations. Three are housed in the county courthouse built in 1928. Other sites include two other buildings in the downtown Bentonville area and at the Juvenile Justice facility on Melissa Drive.
A study finished in January 2014 identified three sites: two downtown and one on Southwest 14th Street near the jail.
A second study completed last year by consultants -- Perkowitz. Ruth, Cromwell and Dewberry -- presented six building options, with two options on Southwest 14th Street, one for property behind the courthouse and three options for property on Northeast Second Street, just off the downtown square.
One of the concepts for Southwest 14th Street was ranked highest by the consultants, with one of the Northeast Second Street options close behind. The Option 1 plan on Southwest 14th Street will cost about $37.8 million. The Option 4 program on Northeast Second Street will cost of $34.5 million, with about $11 million in incentives offered by Walton family interests factored in.
Walton family interests have supported plans to keep the court and related offices downtown. The Walton Family Foundation made a $2.8 million grant available to renovate the courthouse and has agreed to to buy land on Northeast Second Street and transfer it to the county. The Waltons also indicated 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.
Those incentives played a large role in Tuesday's discussion. Moehring said it weighed heavily in his support.
"This is a golden opportunity for us and we would be foolish not to take advantage of it," he said.
Meyers called the Walton's support for downtown "a pet peeve" of his.
"I understand the Walton Foundation wanting it downtown," Meyers said. "If the Foundation were to say 'Build it where ever.' that same money being available on 102 (SW 14th Street) would lower the cost there."
Circuit Judge Doug Schrantz was asked if the judges favored one location over another. Schrantz said the judges have a list of concerns, ranging from safety and access to adequate size now and the capacity for expansion. As long as their concerns are addressed, he said, the location doesn't matter.
"We really, honestly, don't care where it goes," Schrantz said. "So long as it meets the needs we foresee, now and for the future."
NW News on 03/01/2017