Mallalieu effort gets 90-day extension

The Fort Smith Board of Directors on Tuesday (Feb. 8) agreed to give backers of the Mallalieu Project another 90 days to present a definitive plan on restoring a structurally troubled former church.

The city acquired the church, located at 800 N. Ninth St.,  in early 2000 with the plan to convert it into a multicultural center. However, the city was unable to afford the $800,000 initial renovation costs, and by 2007, costs to renovate and complete the project had soared to as much as $3.5 million. Soon after, the city moved to demolish the building, and received an estimate of $189,000 for the demolition work.

But Monte Wilson and Scott Hathaway gained board approval to delay the demolition and raise money under a private effort to renovate the church and establish a program to mentor youth, provide art and science programs and other programs intended to strengthen individuals and families.

“Today it will be resurrected as a new haven where our youth will benefit not only from physical activities but personal mentoring, encouragement, and opportunities to communicate with educated people around the world. The "Mallalieu" building will be a powerhouse of activity and provide the positive influence our disadvantaged young people so desperately need,” notes language on the Juneteenth website about the project.

But the fundraising effort hit a snag.

“And then the economy took a huge dive for the worse,” Wilson, who is the vice president of clinical operations at St. Edward Mercy Medical, told the board during the Tuesday study session.

Wilson said the effort has about $200,000 in cash and pledges, but has gathered a group of “significant people in the community” to re-engage the effort. Part of that initial effort will remove scrub trees and vines from the structure and place a sign explaining the project. Wilson promised the board they would be impressed with the new leadership behind the project and the new ideas.

Wally Bailey, director of planning for the city, told the board there is “some structural failure” within the old church, but said the structure could stand for another 10 years or could fall tomorrow.

Wilson, acknowledging that the building has problems, said the plan is to gut the interior and use the relatively solid foundation of the outer walls to “build a structure within a structure.”

“Most people in the community support this. They tell me, ‘Don’t tear it down,’” Wilson said. “We’re trying to do something for the city.”

Part of that effort is designed to be more than just structural. The Mallalieu program outlines four problems facing the “disadvantaged,” and four solutions to those problems. For example, the problem of high school dropouts is countered with a “Leadership Institute” designed to provide “interactive learning and mentoring programs to negate the high school dropout epidemic.

Although the directors expressed support for the overall effort, they were concerned about the structure of the building and possible city liabilities — the city still owns the property — and costs if the Mallalieu project fails.

City Director George Catsavis said continued extensions could raise the cost to demolish. Bailey estimated the cost to demolish would now be between $200,000-$210,000.

“I’m afraid it’s at a point of no return,” said City Director Kevin Settle.

City Director Pam Weber suggested that iconic parts of the former church be saved and incorporated into a completely new structure, noting “there is so much history that we all want to do the right thing” and save part of it.

But in the end, Wilson’s pleading for more time won the day. The board is expected to formally agree to the 90-day extension at its Feb. 15 regular meeting.