‘Academic Center’ proposed for Mallalieu property

The more than 11-year saga with the former Mallalieu Methodist Church in north Fort Smith took another twist Tuesday (May 24) when University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Chancellor Paul Beran revealed a more than $1 million plan to convert the property into the “Mallalieu Center for Academic Excellence.”

In February, the Fort Smith Board of Directors gave Monte Wilson, Scott Hathaway and others involved in the Mallalieu restoration effort another 90 days to come up with a viable restoration plan or the city would be forced to demolish the unstable structure.

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.

Wilson and Hathaway returned with Beran during Tuesday’s board study session to unveil the new plan and ask the board for $300,000 to demolish part of the old church building and secure the “landmark” facade.

Beran told the board he has been “talking quietly” with potential in-state and out-of-state donors on the project for more than two years. His goal is to create a center that would target “students at risk” who show potential for academic excellence.

“These are students who could go either way,” Beran said of choices the economically disadvantaged students often have with respect to pursuing an education or pursuing actions that continue a cycle of poverty or crime. Beran added later that the $300,000 spent by the city would “ultimately save the city huge amounts of dollars” with respect to improving socio-economic conditions.

The idea for the academic center began with work conducted by a group of college students Beran annually mentors. The students have focused on working with at risk Junior High students in the Fort Smith Public School District. Beran said an at-risk student visiting the UAFS recently remarked that he didn’t know anyone who had ever attended college, but that he was now determined to attend college.

“Those are the kids we are shooting for,” Beran said.

Programs at the proposed center would target 3rd and 4th graders and work with them through the 10th grade. Graduates of the program and college graduates would also work as mentors and tutors, according to Beran.

Specifically, the plan calls for constructing an about 8,000-square-foot youth center behind the Mallalieu facade. A third phase of the project calls for Fort Smith Public Library system to build a branch at the location, with the branch possibly named after former Fort Smith Mayor Ray Baker, Beran explained.

When asked about timing for the city’s commitment of $300,000, Beran said the sooner the better. He said a “tentative, but very promising” list of private donors are waiting for the city to commit to the project. He encouraged the board to move quickly, saying such projects “have a certain energy level” that dissipates if not captured within a certain timeframe.

Although some directors expressed reservation about pulling $300,000 out of the 2011 budget, City Director George Catsavis was the only director to not vote in an informal straw vote to give the Mallalieu project another extension to work out details of the new plan. Catsavis said he “really respects” the plan, but said the city faces potentially expensive liability if someone is hurt by the crumbling structure.

City Directors Philip Merry Jr. and Pam Weber urged the board to work quickly to fund and support the new Mallalieu plan. Merry noted that the city’s cost to demolish may be $75,000 less than the $300,000 request, and suggested the board should not walk away from Beran’s plan for that relatively small difference.

“We can’t measure the return on investment we will have on these children’s lives,” Weber said, picking up on Merry’s point.

Wally Bailey, director of development services for the city, advised the board to hold off on a decision until city staff obtains a more definitive cost to partially demolish the structure. Bailey said asbestos abatement costs for partial demolition, and adjacent property issues could increase the costs beyond the $300,000 estimate.