BENTONVILLE -- City officials are considering moving the Planning Department to the utilities complex. The move would make the Community Development Building an option for a new City Hall.
The move would place the Planning, Engineering, Electric and Water Departments under the same roof on Southwest Municipal Drive, which would increase efficiency in the review process for developments, said Jake Harper, finance and administration director.
Walton connection
Bentonville’s City Council unanimously approved Dec. 11 selling the City Hall building on West Central Avenue for $3.75 million to Recasting LLC. Recasting is registered in Delaware and shares an agent with Ropeswing Hospitality Group and Springdale Downtown, both of which are backed by the Walton family.
Source: Staff report
Harper and Mayor Stephanie Orman talked with the City Council on Tuesday about how the move could also help in moving the departments operating in City Hall on West Central Avenue.
Recasting LLC bought the City Hall building for $3.75 million in December. The company is leasing the building back to the city at no cost for up to three years while municipal offices are moved.
The city's Information Technology, Human Resources, Accounting and Purchasing and Legal departments as well as utility billing and the mayor's office operate out of the building on West Central Avenue.
City officials discussed constructing two buildings -- a smaller City Hall facility to house the mayor's, finance and legal offices, and an Administrative Services Building to house Information Technology, Human Resources, Utility Billing and Accounting and Purchasing departments.
Moving the mayor's, finance and legal offices into the Community Development Building would be a better use of city space, keep the mayor's office in the downtown district and reduce the need of two buildings to one, officials said Tuesday.
The Community Development Building is at 305 S.W. A St. The city owns the empty lot north of the building.
A committee will evaluate the potential of a public-private partnership for a parking deck on that land as well as help decide what changes should be made to the Community Development Building should it become City Hall, Harper said.
Orman said Tuesday she's in the process of creating a committee of one community member, one City Council member and three city staff members to look at the issue.
Bill Burckart, council member, asked about the logistics of moving the Planning Department.
"All this is still being worked out," Harper said, explaining decisions regarding moving departments will happen internally and won't be part of the committee's work.
The Administrative Services Building also won't be part of the committee's work, he said.
The city hired Hight Jackson Associates in January to design the building for $252,000. The plan is for the building to be at the southeast corner of Southwest I Street and Southwest Regional Airport Boulevard.
Proceeds from the City Hall sale of will be used to help pay for the new building, which is estimated between $8.7 million and $9.8 million, Harper said. The remaining $5 million to $6.2 million would be paid with reserve money.
It's too early in the process to estimate the cost of turning the Community Development Building into City Hall, he said.
NW News on 02/28/2019