College sells land, paving way for Eighth Street work

BENTONVILLE — The Northwest Arkansas Community College board agreed Tuesday to sell some of its land to let the city move forward on some road projects.

The city intends to extend Eighth Street across the north side of the college’s property and connect it with a roundabout to Water Tower Road, which borders the east side of campus. The city also intends to widen Water Tower Road.

The college is selling to the city about 4.4 acres for $675,486 to accommodate the Eighth Street extension and another 1.8 acres along Water Tower Road for $448,420 — a total of 6.2 acres for $1.12 million.

Dennis Birge, the city’s transportation director, said the Eighth Street extension project will start this summer and take about 18 months.

Widening Water Tower Road is considered phase two. Birge estimated early 2024 as the completion date for that part. The city is still acquiring property for that phase, he said.

The college has an irrigation line looping around campus that will have to be cut and moved as part of the Eighth Street project, said Jim Lay, the college’s director of facilities and construction management.

The college has been working with engineers and has a plan for moving the line. The city is paying all expenses related to the move, Lay said.

Mark Scott, a board trustee, asked Lay if he felt comfortable the $1.12 million offer was a good deal for the college.

“I am,” Lay said. “Most of our neighbors up and down Water Tower Road have been very pleased with what the city is offering them.”

The city earlier offered around $800,000, but later increased that by $300,000, Lay said.

“The city of Bentonville has been great to work with,” he said.

Also on Tuesday, the college’s board approved spending a combined $1 million on two land purchases.

One involves a strip of property bisecting the campus. It once was owned by the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad and contained part of a rail spur.

The college tried several years ago to acquire the property, but backed off because the railroad was unable to convey a clear title for the land, said college President Evelyn Jorgenson.

The state Department of Transportation acquired the railroad’s property in 2016 from Water Tower Road west to P Street as it prepared to widen Interstate 49 and build the Eighth Street interchange. The state’s purchase included the section across the college’s campus. The rails and ties were removed from campus.

The department bought the property using a federal grant. Grant rules stipulate if the department decides to sell the property, it must do so for the exact amount it paid for the land, Lay said. The college will pay the state $621,000 for the section bisecting campus, which amounts to 2.8 acres.

In a separate deal, the college will pay Mercy Hospital $450,000 for 3.9 acres adjacent to campus and just west of the National Child Protection Training Center. The deal is contingent on results of soil testing.

An appraisal of the 3.9 acres came in at $850,000, according to Jack Thompson, the college’s director of operations.

The college will use that land to build a new physical plant building; administrators said they have about $1.1 million set aside for that project. The current physical plant will be converted to space for the college’s workforce development programs.