City extends building lease for five years

Board agrees on offices staying at Garrison location

FORT SMITH — City offices will continue to be at 623 Garrison Ave., at least for the next five years.

The Board of Directors unanimously agreed to extend the lease during its regular meeting Tuesday. The lease is nearly $47,780 per month from Southland Management Group.

City Administrator Carl Geffken said the lease resolution includes an option for the city to lease additional space in the building as needed, since the current space does not fit all of the city departments.

Josh Buchfink, the city’s public relations manager, said the Police, Fire, Solid Waste Services, Streets and Traffic Control, Transit, Water Utilities, Parks and Recreation and Information Technology Services departments are not housed on Garrison Avenue. He said there are no plans to relocate any of these departments at this time, but the remainder of the building’s basement and first floors, as well as the entirety of the second and sixth floors, are not currently occupied.

“Should we acquire additional space in our building in the future, our plan includes providing extra space to some of our more crowded departments, such as Neighborhood Services and Building Services,” he said. “We intend to move Engineering Department inspectors currently located in the Carnall Building to 623 Garrison Avenue to be co-located with our Engineering Department. However, we have not yet acquired additional space at 623 Garrison Avenue.”

The directors previously discussed options for what to do when the lease expired during a study session Feb. 28.

Ward 2 Director Andre Good said he agreed with comments made by At-Large Director Christina Catsavis during the study session that the city offices should be located downtown and in one building. Good said he wants the city to build its own space, but understands they need to save money for projects related to the Foreign Military Sales program.

Mayor George McGill said in his annual state of the city address last month that Fort Smith is working on infrastructure improvements to accommodate the increased population resulting from sales program, a security assistance program authorized by the Arms Export Control Act. The act allows the U.S. to sell defense equipment, conduct training and provide services to a foreign country when the president deems doing so will

strengthen national security and promote world peace.

Ebbing Air National Guard Base was selected last year to be the pilot training center.

“Over many years, we grew at a rate of about 1% or less,” McGill said. “That’s no more, and it’s starting to put pressure on our infrastructure.”

At-Large Director Neal Martin said at Tuesday’s meeting he’s OK with continuing the lease, but noted that since the city started leasing the office space in 1977 it could have afforded to purchase it twice over by now.

“I have been talking about the pressures that are on us from new needs, which we’re going to potentially be discussing on March 18, but from the long term perspective, putting in an offer here and buying this building, I don’t know if that is not the best option at this point,” he said.

Ward 3 Director Lavon Morton said Southland Management didn’t offer to sell the building.

“The five years gives us time to explore various things. Certain things might change in a year, and we might be able to make an offer that would be something that would be entertained, and that’s honestly something I would hope for,” he said.