BENTONVILLE -- Benton County Judge Bob Clinard told justices of the peace Thursday he reached an agreement with the Walton Family Foundation on a $2.8 million grant to renovate the courthouse.
Clinard told the Public Safety Committee last week he wasn't ready to accept the grant without having more information on what work is planned and how that fits into work on a new courts facility.
County Courts Building
Benton County has been considering a new courts building for the past few years and studied the feasibility of the project that identified three options, with cost estimates ranging from about $49 million to about $53 million. One option would be a new building on county property on Southwest 14th Street in Bentonville, near the Road Department and jail. The other two options both keep the courts and related offices in downtown Bentonville by building space and expanding and renovating the courthouse and courthouse tower.
Source: Staff Report
"I can't see spending $2 million renovating the first floor and moving 20-plus prosecuting attorneys," Clinard said last week. "It would be extremely difficult if not impossibly disruptive. Second, we don't know the future of the first floor of that building. I can't see renovating it for one use when it may turn out to be a different use in the future."
The Finance Committee scheduled a discussion of the grant offer for its Tuesday meeting after several justices of the peace said they wanted the county to accept the grant and proceed with the work. The grant is meant to pay for some renovation and remodelling work on the historic Benton County Courthouse, which was built in 1928. The county is considering options for the courts system, which could include moving to a new location.
In a letter Clinard distributed to the justices of the peace earlier this week he explained he needs a detailed plan for the first floor work before he can accept the grant.
"The grant budgets $2,029,992 for work on that floor and that is a major undertaking on the first floor of any building especially an occupied and working Court House," Clinard said in the letter. "Using the grant terminology, 'this approach also would allow the top two floors of the Courthouse to remain functional from a business standpoint while these specific renovations are done' so we must have a plan in place to accomplish that goal before we agree to the grant."
At Thursday's meeting Clinard said he's now satisfied with with the grant agreement and the project will proceed.
"It will be on my desk within a week and I will sign off on it," he said.
The Quorum Court voted last fall to accept the $2.8 million grant from the foundation to pay for some work on the first floor offices of the Prosecuting Attorney in the courthouse. The grant required the county to repair the roof in the building, which has been done; to have Hight-Jackson Associates oversee the work; and to give the foundation written acceptance of the grant in November. Jay Allen, representing the foundation, said the organization took the Quorum Court's action endorsing the grant as formal acceptance.
One of the details in the amended agreement extends the time the county will be able to make use of offices pace in the Massey Building in downtown Bentonville for the Prosecuting Attorney's office during the renovation. Prosecutor Nathan Smith said he's pleased with the agreement, pointing out the Massey Building offices are "the only space downtown that's available."
Clinard also said he has been satisfied his concerns about security in the courthouse during the renovation work have been addressed.
The justices of the peace took no action on the grant but several expressed their approval of the agreement.
"This was worth staying for," Tom Leadabrand of District 12 said of the announcement.
NW News on 02/06/2015