Beyond sentimentality
Keep courts facility in downtown Bentonville
Posted: April 8, 2015 at 1 a.m.
The Benton County Quorum Court is wrestling with the decision of where to locate the courthouse, either on Arkansas 102 adjacent to the Benton County jail or to modernize the existing historic courthouse in downtown Bentonville and build a new adjacent court facility.
On one issue both sides agree: The current historic courthouse is inadequate for today's Benton County circuit courts system and will become even more obsolete in the future as the county's growth far outpaces the courthouse's capacity.
Proposals for both locations have been developed by highly competent architectural design firms and both meet the basic criteria for a new courts facility. The first and most important need is to create a safe and secure facility for the judges, staff and public. Both proposals envision one secure and contiguous facility with a single entrance for the public, a separate entrance and secure areas for inmates, and secure chambers and parking for judges and court personnel.
Another key consideration is capacity. Both proposals contain significant additional capacity to accommodate courtroom needs both now and for many years in the future along with additional public space for safety, comfort and convenience.
Finally, parking will be a key consideration and both proposals have identified existing and new parking spaces to accommodate the expansion.
Taken objectively, either proposal would be a tremendous improvement over the current court facility.
So let's take a look at the other factors that will help drive the decision.
First and foremost, there is cost. On the surface, the Arkansas 102 proposal would cost $24 million. Digging deeper, however, this figure does not accommodate all of the costs associated with this proposal.
The current Highway 102 proposal makes no mention of how the historic courthouse would be used or at what cost for that use. It is safe to say the cost will run in the millions of dollars to renovate a nearly 100-year-old building for whatever future use is proposed.
The Highway 102 proposal has been presented within the context of a much larger shift of Benton County facilities from multiple locations to two locations. No cost has been offered for this proposal although there has been speculation that the sale of some existing county properties would help pay for this significant move of county facilities. In reality it is unclear right now how much this part of the plan would cost, but again, it is safe to say the tab will run in the millions of dollars.
These two unknown variables will add unknown millions of dollars to the Highway 102 proposal.
The downtown Bentonville proposal carries a price tag of $31.2 million. An important consideration for this proposal is that the actual cost to taxpayers will be substantially less.
The Walton Family Foundation has already committed $2.9 million for initial renovations to the historic courthouse. If the downtown proposal is adopted by the Quorum Court, the foundation has pledged an additional $2 million toward the cost of construction.
These two commitments to the downtown proposal take the actual cost to taxpayers down to $26.3 million. There have also been additional pledges and donations of land (approximately half a block) and parking space to accommodate the new downtown courts expansion.
Three additional considerations heavily tilt the decision toward the downtown proposal.
First, in the downtown proposal, the historic courthouse will continue to function both as a courthouse and as home to several key court functions. No mystery here of how the historic courthouse will be used in the future, and unlike the proposal for the Highway 102 location, the cost to fully renovate the historic courthouse is included in the downtown proposal.
Second, one study estimated the annual economic impact of the courts facilities on downtown Bentonville is approximately $3 million. Moving the facilities to Highway 102 will put a substantial portion of this impact at risk.
Finally, as a member of the Quorum Court, I've heard from a wide variety of county employees as well as others who frequent the historic courthouse that they enjoy all of the restaurants, shops and other amenities offered in downtown Bentonville. These quality of life factors do not exist on the Highway 102 property adjacent to the county jail.
Choosing to keep the Benton County circuit court facilities in downtown Bentonville is not a sentimental decision. It's the right decision that upgrades and modernizes our court facilities, saves taxpayer dollars, improves and maintains the historic courthouse and preserves the economic impact of the court facilities on downtown Bentonville.
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Barry Moehring is the justice of the peace serving District 15 on the Benton County Quorum Court.
Commentary on 04/08/2015
Posted: April 8, 2015 at 1 a.m.
The Benton County Quorum Court is wrestling with the decision of where to locate the courthouse, either on Arkansas 102 adjacent to the Benton County jail or to modernize the existing historic courthouse in downtown Bentonville and build a new adjacent court facility.
On one issue both sides agree: The current historic courthouse is inadequate for today's Benton County circuit courts system and will become even more obsolete in the future as the county's growth far outpaces the courthouse's capacity.
Proposals for both locations have been developed by highly competent architectural design firms and both meet the basic criteria for a new courts facility. The first and most important need is to create a safe and secure facility for the judges, staff and public. Both proposals envision one secure and contiguous facility with a single entrance for the public, a separate entrance and secure areas for inmates, and secure chambers and parking for judges and court personnel.
Another key consideration is capacity. Both proposals contain significant additional capacity to accommodate courtroom needs both now and for many years in the future along with additional public space for safety, comfort and convenience.
Finally, parking will be a key consideration and both proposals have identified existing and new parking spaces to accommodate the expansion.
Taken objectively, either proposal would be a tremendous improvement over the current court facility.
So let's take a look at the other factors that will help drive the decision.
First and foremost, there is cost. On the surface, the Arkansas 102 proposal would cost $24 million. Digging deeper, however, this figure does not accommodate all of the costs associated with this proposal.
The current Highway 102 proposal makes no mention of how the historic courthouse would be used or at what cost for that use. It is safe to say the cost will run in the millions of dollars to renovate a nearly 100-year-old building for whatever future use is proposed.
The Highway 102 proposal has been presented within the context of a much larger shift of Benton County facilities from multiple locations to two locations. No cost has been offered for this proposal although there has been speculation that the sale of some existing county properties would help pay for this significant move of county facilities. In reality it is unclear right now how much this part of the plan would cost, but again, it is safe to say the tab will run in the millions of dollars.
These two unknown variables will add unknown millions of dollars to the Highway 102 proposal.
The downtown Bentonville proposal carries a price tag of $31.2 million. An important consideration for this proposal is that the actual cost to taxpayers will be substantially less.
The Walton Family Foundation has already committed $2.9 million for initial renovations to the historic courthouse. If the downtown proposal is adopted by the Quorum Court, the foundation has pledged an additional $2 million toward the cost of construction.
These two commitments to the downtown proposal take the actual cost to taxpayers down to $26.3 million. There have also been additional pledges and donations of land (approximately half a block) and parking space to accommodate the new downtown courts expansion.
Three additional considerations heavily tilt the decision toward the downtown proposal.
First, in the downtown proposal, the historic courthouse will continue to function both as a courthouse and as home to several key court functions. No mystery here of how the historic courthouse will be used in the future, and unlike the proposal for the Highway 102 location, the cost to fully renovate the historic courthouse is included in the downtown proposal.
Second, one study estimated the annual economic impact of the courts facilities on downtown Bentonville is approximately $3 million. Moving the facilities to Highway 102 will put a substantial portion of this impact at risk.
Finally, as a member of the Quorum Court, I've heard from a wide variety of county employees as well as others who frequent the historic courthouse that they enjoy all of the restaurants, shops and other amenities offered in downtown Bentonville. These quality of life factors do not exist on the Highway 102 property adjacent to the county jail.
Choosing to keep the Benton County circuit court facilities in downtown Bentonville is not a sentimental decision. It's the right decision that upgrades and modernizes our court facilities, saves taxpayer dollars, improves and maintains the historic courthouse and preserves the economic impact of the court facilities on downtown Bentonville.
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Barry Moehring is the justice of the peace serving District 15 on the Benton County Quorum Court.
Commentary on 04/08/2015
