Cave Springs project closer to happening

Bid for building restoration still needs council approval

CAVE SPRINGS — Restoration of the city’s community building is back on track after years of officials trying to make it happen.

Bids were unveiled Thursday with SSI Inc. submitting a low bid of $861,616. The other bidder was Southern Building Services with a bid of $863,000, Mayor Randall Noblett said.

The bid still needs City Council approval. The item should go before the council at its Jan. 23 meeting, Noblett said.

The community building, built around 1934, has been closed since 2015, Noblett said.

Before 2015, there had been some small repairs done on the building, Noblett said.

“Straightening this and that and some patch work,” he said.

In late 2017, action to restart the restoration began, said Noblett, who was a City Council member at that time. In 2018, design work was started with an architect, but the project never got to the bid stage. The estimated cost then was between $650,00 and $670,000, Noblett said.

In 2019, the City Council opted against continuing the project because of funding concerns, Noblett said.

City voters on Nov. 12, 2019, voted against funding that would have paid for improvements for the community building. The special election also included other bonds as well.

The bond would have provided $675,000 for “all or a portion of the costs of renovations and improvements to the Cave Springs Community Building” including parking, furnishings and equipment.

Since then, the city has established a community building restoration fund that has $650,000 in it, Noblett said. The city also has

$2.75 million in its general fund, from which the balance to fix the building could come, Noblett said.

The Community Building Restoration Committee could do fundraisers to help pay for things such as furniture. One idea is an etched brick project for sidewalks and a plaza at the community building, Noblett said.

The community building, located at the corner of Main and Midway streets, needs a full top-to-bottom restoration, he said. The building is made from rough oak and is sturdy. The foundation is solid, too, but needs some work. Heating and air conditioning needs to be added and the restrooms have to expanded. The interior needs updating, and overall the structure needs to leveled out, Noblett said.

Work should start the first half of next year if the council approves the bid, he said.

Noblett sees the renovation as an investment in downtown that could help spur developers to do the same.

“It builds a sense of community,” he said.

Kayleigh Barnes lives in Cave Springs and owns seven properties in the city and other businesses across Northwest Arkansas.

Barnes owns a building that was once an automotive shop across the street from the community building. She intends to remake the space for two businesses with a rooftop patio. She also is working on a development north of the community building that will have 8,000 square feet of commercial space, including room for a restaurant with eight upscale townhomes built above.

Renovation of the community building is needed, said Barnes, who is also a member of the city Planning Commission.

“It’s incredibly important,” Barnes said. “It’s what makes Cave Springs special — the history. We can still save it, and we definitely should save it. There is history there. We need to push forward. It may seem like a lot now, but it will be beneficial to the city.”

A restored community building would give the city a place to hold meetings, Noblett said. The City Council now leases space from the local American Legion Post to hold meetings.

Barnes sees the community building as another way to bring revenue into the city by renting it out on weekends or for special events like weddings.

The community building in its heyday hosted events such as movies every Monday night, community Christmas parties, town homecomings and annual appreciation dinners, according to the Benton County Historical Society. Merchants would hold drawings every Saturday when folks came to shop.

Cave Springs is in a central location, near modern amenities, and maintains a small-town feel, Noblett said.

The city’s population grew 218% from 1,729 to 5,495 residents over a span of 10 years, according to an Aug. 22, 2021, Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette story. The surge made Cave Springs a city of the first class and the fastest-growing town in the region. By Arkansas Code, any city with more than 2,500 residents can be a city of the first class and any city with more than 5,000 must be. The city is now above 6,000 residents, Noblett said.

A growth factor is the city property tax — 2.64 mills — being the lowest in the immediate area, Noblett said.