FAYETTEVILLE AGENDA SESSION : BY MARSHA L. MELNICHAK Northwest Arkansas Times Plant plans revisited by mayor
Posted on Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Confusion continues to reign about the best use of the city-owned building that was once the Tyson Mexican Original plant.
In recent weeks, the Fayetteville City Council had a document prepared for consideration of leasing part of the property to the Northwest Arkansas Community Creative Center. Now it’s tabled, in part, because aldermen also approved a resolution to get the property appraised.
At the meeting Tuesday, a third idea was thrown into the mix by Mayor Dan Coody. He suggested using part of the site for the city’s police station.
Moving the Police Department to the site was also mentioned at a December meeting, but it was not an option in the appraisal resolution approved by the council. It was also one of the uses originally discussed when the city bought the building in 2005.
Coody said after the meeting Tuesday that he thinks the site can serve all three purposes: some to sell, some to lease for the arts, some for the Police Department.
“ I do believe that, yes I do, ” he said. “ I think that way we can do the most good for the most people for the longest term. ”
During the meeting, Coody referred to plans he had in his office.
Two drawings, created by city planning staff with input from police Chief Greg Tabor, show building space of about 70, 000 square feet and about 300 parking spaces.
One of the drawings has two two-story buildings as a possibility; the other shows one three-story building.
A separate building that could be used as a joint police and fire training facility is part of the concept, too.
“ I think it is a good spot for the Police Department, ” Tabor said, citing its nearness to Crossover Road for quick access to the north and 15 th Street for four-lane access to the west and to the city shop.
“ That (location ) was the original plan, and I still think it’s a viable option, ” he said.
Council members have not seen the drawings yet, and a committee appointed by Coody to look into possibilities at the site has not met yet.
Committee Chair man Brenda Thiel indicated she was waiting to have the plans available before calling a meeting.
Asked where the idea originated, Coody said, “ Basically, it was me asking the Police Department, ‘ Come up with what’s going to work for you. ’”
At the agenda session, Ward 3 Alderman Bobby Ferrell said he remembered that the appraisal was to be for two possibilities: selling all the land or selling part of it.
City Attorney Kit Williams concurred but said a third appraisal could be done also.
Ferrell asked the council members to think about using “ very high dollar commercial property” for city services.
The city originally purchased the property for about $ 1. 1 million. Some of it has since been used to correct a drainage problem, to realign the intersection of Huntsville and Happy Hollow roads, and for a new fire station, which is due to open this spring.
“ I stand by my guns when I say I don’t think it makes fiscal good sense when you own property in the other parts of town to take prime real estate and put city government in there, ” Ferrell said after the meeting.
Coody said the Police Department can’t stay where it is because as the population grows, more police will have to be added.
“ This is long-term planning for our fire and police infrastructure, ” he said. “ We can be knee-jerk and sell it off in a very dead real estate market, but I think that would be exceptionally shortsighted for the long-term benefit of Fayetteville. ”
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