Architects quizzed on courts plan

Benton County officials narrow choices on building design

BENTONVILLE — The process to find an architect to design a courts building may end within the next few weeks, Benton County officials said Tuesday.

The county has narrowed its choices to Hight Jackson Associates of Rogers and the Bates+ Cromwell and Dewberry group, which also has offices in Rogers. Both groups have worked with the county on the courts project in the past.

County Judge Barry Moehring and a work group of county officials interviewed the two candidates for the design job Friday.

“We had the interviews, but there was not a clear-cut consensus,” Moehring said. “We heard a lot of good information, and I’ve asked the other members of the work group to send back any additional questions they may have. We’ll submit those to the candidates and continue to do our due diligence.”

Moehring will submit additional questions to the candidates and has asked them to respond by Friday. He’ll share the responses with the group, and the group will consider the next steps.

County officials have discussed a new building for the circuit judges, their courtrooms and related offices for the past few years. The Quorum Court earlier this year voted to narrow the project’s scope and keep the courts downtown. Property

on Northeast Second Street has been identified as the building site.

Benton County Circuit Judge John Scott, who participated in the interviews, said he’s pleased with the candidates and the progress being made.

The two firms showed a knowledge of the history and background of the county’s past discussion and the decisions made so far, Scott said.

“All of the members of both teams responded to the questions they were asked,” Scott said. “If they didn’t know the answer they said so, and I appreciate that. Both teams also stressed their willingness to involve the people who use the courts facilities day in and day out.”

Tom Allen, justice of the peace and chairman of the Finance Committee, said the county needs to begin to work on financial issues as the design work is being done. Allen wants the committee to take up financing as a regular item of business at its monthly meetings. Justices of the peace have said they want to use some combination of county reserve money and other revenue to pay for the building. Moehring has said he wants the plans to allow the facility to be built without seeking a tax increase.

“I think we do need to keep reminding ourselves of the calendar and the schedule,” Allen said. “We need to select the architects and decide on the funding. I’d like to see us turn the architects loose and start the funding discussion over the next two or three months.”

“We need to select the architects and decide on the funding. I’d like to see us turn the architects loose and start the funding discussion over the next two or three months.”

— Tom Allen, Benton County justice of the peace