Benton County Will Replace Courthouse Roof

BENTONVILLE -- County officials hope to minimize disruption downtown when the roof on the Benton County Courthouse is replaced.

County Judge Bob Clinard and other officials met with Joplin Roofing Co., the project contractor, along with city officials and a representative of Downtown Bentonville Inc. to discuss project logistics Wednesday morning.

The county has about $188,000 in the budget for work on the courthouse, but not all of that's earmarked for replacing the roof, said John Sudduth, general services administrator responsible for building maintenance.

"That is not the contract amount," Sudduth said. "There may be some electrical work, some HVAC work we don't know about until we get in there. There may be some additional materials needed. The roofing bid was $96,996. That's to remove all of the roofing material and replace it."

The county has taken "core samples" of the roof and found the thickness of material varies from one part of the roof to another, Sudduth said. There are three layers of roofing material about 4 inches thick over most of the 11,000 square feet of the roof and another inch of insulation on top of the structural steel and concrete deck. Once the roofing material is removed, 3 inches of new insulation and a new layer of roofing will go on, Sudduth said. The contract allows for 60 working days to run from Oct. 6 through Dec. 5. Sudduth expects the work will be done in less time.

"It was built pretty well for an old building so it's not a safety issue," he said.

Tentative plans call for the roofing company to set up a crane in front of the main steps to the courthouse for some of the work, then shift the crane to an area on the south side of the building for the remainder of the work. Frank McLean, with Joplin Roofing, said the crane and material should fit in the area at the foot of the main steps leading up to the courthouse and not block the street. The company will be able to place the crane in a grassy area near the south side of the building, but will need some of the adjacent reserved parking as a staging area when that work is being done, he said.

Debbie Matteri with Downtown Bentonville said the organization wants to work with the contractor to avoid conflicts. The area in front of the courthouse is used for First Friday events, she said. The company is willing to shift the crane if needed, McLean said.

"In front of the steps is our stage," Matteri, said. "We need to have access to that area and to the electrical. We'll try to get however many hours or days advance notice they need."

Mike Churchwell, Bentonville transportation director, said the work will create some problems, but he doesn't think they will be too serious.

"Obviously, it will create some disruption, but it's necessary," he said. "There's always something going on downtown and it usually has to do with improvements. I don't anticipate any real problems. At times you're going to lose a few parking spots and they're always at a premium."

Circuit Judge Robin Green said she'll do what is needed to deal with any noise from the repairs. Her courtroom on the third floor of the building fronts the area where the crane will be at the courthouse steps.

"The acoustics in that courtroom are none too good as it is," she said. "Obviously, this desperately needs to be done, and we will make do as best we can."

The roof has leaked for years, damaging the interior, Green said.

"That roof needs to be replaced, there's no doubt about it," she said. "The historic courtroom, which the county paid to have restored, has sadly been damaged by water. It's long overdue, and I'm happy the county is going to get it done."