Rogers has designs on two properties

City plans to renovate building for museum, use part of other parcel for road

ROGERS -- The city of Rogers is gearing up to spend about $1 million to buy two downtown proprieties, Mayor Greg Hines said last week.

A contract for the purchase of the former Rogers Morning News building for $729,900 was signed Tuesday, Hines said.

Also Tuesday, the City Council approved spending $365,000 for a piece of property on East Cherry Street.

Plans are to move the Rogers Historical Museum into the former newspaper office at 313 S. Second St. Studies have shown that it would be more cost-effective to renovate the building than to build a new one for the museum, he said.

"It is certainly a much better decision from an economic standpoint," he said.

John Burroughs, the museum director, said it could cost $11 million to construct a building. The cost of moving into the Morning News building has been estimated at $5.5 million.

The 14,230-square-foot building will better meet the museum's exhibit space needs, Burroughs said.

The structure was built in 1947. Newt Hailey opened a Ford dealership in it in 1948. The building's curved walls and windows -- now covered -- are a unique architectural feature, he said.

The city plans to restore the building to how it looked when the dealership was located there, Hines said.

"The original structure of that building is intact if we remove the stucco facade," he said. "I think it really has been an idea that supporters of the museum and supporters of Rogers have been able to get their heads around, and we have seen a swell of excitement for repurposing that building."

The building is owned by Northwest Arkansas Newspapers, said Rusty Turner, Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette editor. The building had housed newsroom staffs since the late 1960s, he said. Newsroom and business-office operations moved out of the building in January.

"With technology the way it is, reporters, advertising representatives and photographers can work from the field much more efficiently, so we don't need a home base," Turner said. "We have reporters, advertising representatives and photographers in Rogers every single day."

Newspaper distribution employees have continued to work out of the building, Turner said. Those employees will move to one of several facilities owned by the newspaper in Lowell, Springdale and Fayetteville in the coming weeks.

The building wasn't officially put on the market, Turner said. Discussions between city and newspaper officials started shortly after newsroom operations left the building, he said.

"We are really excited that it's going to be used for the community's benefit," Turner said. "The museum is a great asset to downtown, and we are happy to be a part of it expanding."

A closing date hasn't been set for the sale, Turner said.

The City Council must approve spending the money before the deal can be closed, Hines said. The issue is likely to go before the City Council on July 14, he said.

A contract to buy the 101 E. Cherry St. property also was signed in recent days, Hines said. That property -- which now consists of a gravel lot and has one metal building -- includes the city block between Cherry and Popular streets, he said.

The property is important to the future development of downtown, Hines said, adding that it is within sight of retail businesses and of the city's planned bicycle park.

The city plans to use part of the property for construction of Arkansas Street, Hines said. That road project is planned but not underway.

"We know that we are going to need a portion of that property for right of way," Hines said. "We may survey off what we need for the road and put the rest on the market."

The city could then have some control over who buys the land and how it is developed, Hines said. If the city decides to keep the property, he said, it would be an ideal spot for a parking garage.

"We are not in the land business," he said. "These two projects have really made sense for the city to be involved in. I really hope and believe that most of the new development downtown is going to be driven by private developers."

Metro on 06/28/2015

Upcoming Events