Cave Springs votes to restore center

CAVE SPRINGS — The City Council voted unanimously to restore the community building after heated discussion at its meeting Tuesday night.

The vote came as a relief for many residents who attended the meeting to share their support. Christi Sands brought posters with statements such as “Vote Yes” and “Stop Erasing History.” Public comments lasted for more than an hour, and no one spoke in opposition to the building’s restoration.

Lee Ann Crawford said the restoration comes down to a respect issue.

“I feel that the city, the people and the history of our city deserve respect,” Crawford said. “If we don’t respect our community building and rebuild it to the glory it once was, I think we have a problem.”

Mayor Randall Noblett said the community building opened in 1934 and closed in 2015. Small repairs were made in 2017, but restoration design work didn’t begin until the following year.

The estimated cost to restore the community building was $650,00 to $670,000 in 2018. The bid accepted Tuesday is $861,616.

The city held a special election in November 2019 to allow voters to fund “all or a portion of the costs of renovations and improvements to the Cave Springs Community Building.” Voters rejected the bond, which would have provided $675,000.

Mike Middlecamp has been a member of the council since 2018 and said he went into the meeting planning to vote against the building’s restoration due to the cost. After the meeting, he said community members and fellow alderman JJ Thompson changed his mind.

Thompson, the newest member of the council, said restoring the community building should be a catalyst for growth.

Residents said they would help raise money for needed items like a sound system, podium and some furniture.