BENTONVILLE -- City officials selected Hight Jackson Associates as the firm to design the administrative services building, which will move several city departments from downtown.
The City Council approved, 8-0, a $252,000 contract with the Rogers-based firm at Tuesday's meeting, the first of 2019.
Council Action
Bentonville’s City Council met Tuesday and approved:
• A $125,757 agreement with Ozark Regional Transit.
• Requiring property owners to provide certification the finished floor elevation of any new construction or addition is at or above the elevation shown on the recorded plat.
• A $7,265 amendment to CEI’s contract for its work on Fire sStation No. 7.
• Buying power cots from Stryker for $219,022.
• Emergency medical service agreements with Cave Springs, Centerton and Highfill.
• An agreement with Burns & McDonnel Engineering Company for additional design required for the Eighth Street improvement projects.
• A contract with APAC Central for intersection improvement at Southwest 14th Street and Southwest I Street.
• A memorandum with the NWA Regional Planning Commission to participate in a one-year regional stormwater education and coordination program.
• A $33,883 change order for the west side taxiway at the municipal airport.
Source: Staff Report
The contract with Hight Jackson comes only a month after the council accepted the $3.75 million offer from Recasting LLC to buy the City Hall building on West Central Avenue.
Recasting shares an agent with Ropeswing Hospitality Group and Springdale Downtown, both of which are backed by the Walton family.
Recasting will lease the building back to the city for no cost for up to three years as part of the sale's agreement.
City Hall houses information technology, human resources, accounting and purchasing and legal departments as well as the utility billing and mayor's office.
Council members and leaders discussed in December how to move forward, knowing the time to be able to operate on West Central Avenue is limited.
Jake Harper, finance and administration director, offered a two-part solution splitting the departments in City Hall into two buildings.
A smaller City Hall building would be constructed on Southwest A Street in the empty lot north of the Community Development Building or in the parking lot south of the Community Development Building. It's possible parking may be moved to the empty lot north in a public-private partnership project, city officials have said.
The new City Hall would include larger council chambers, mayor's office and the legal and finance departments.
The second building would be the City Administrative Services Building and include human resources, accounting and purchasing and information technology and utility billing. It could be outside of downtown where more parking could be provided for customers, Harper said in December.
"Since we're not quite sure of the site, it's just a generic design?" Bill Burckart, council member, asked Harper on Tuesday night.
Harper said it's likely the building will be on 12 acres the city owns at Southwest I Street and Southwest Regional Airport Boulevard, near the Community Center in the city's southwest.
The animal shelter task force is also eyeing the property for a facility.
Harper said the Administrative Services Building would only need about 2 acres and could share the property with the shelter.
"Right now, that's the plan, but we'll be flexible," he said.
There wasn't any other discussion about the building or the contract with Hight Jackson before the council approved the contract.
City officials said in December a committee will be created to spearhead the building efforts.
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-$6.2 million would be paid for with reserve money.
Tuesday's meeting was Stephanie Orman's first meeting as mayor. Cindy Acree also joined council for the first time as representative of Ward 2.
NW News on 01/09/2019