Fort Smith Board approves deal to buy building now used as the city hall

by Tina Alvey Dale ([email protected]) 392 views 

The Fort Smith Board of Directors on Tuesday (Jan. 21) approved an ordinance to use $4 million from the city’s general fund to purchase the building at 623 Garrison Ave., which houses city offices.

The board voted 6-0 to approve the funding for the building. The board also agreed to accept an inspection by Beshears Construction of Fort Smith stating the building is in structurally sound condition.

Kelly Wilson with Beshears noted in the inspection that the building is more than 100 years old and has had various improvements and remodels over the years, but nothing unexpected or alarming was discovered.

“The building seems to be in structurally sound condition,” the report noted.

The building is comprised of a stone, brick, concrete masonry unit (CMU), and concrete foundation with a basement. The exterior walls are constructed primarily of brick with finish material including plaster and gypsum board. Some interior walls are concrete while others are wood or metal stud framed. The structure in between floors appears to be a poured-in-place concrete deck of various heights floor to floor, according to the report.

There is no evidence of water intrusion in the basement and while the roofing material on the roof shows signs of hail damage, there are no present leaks. The report noted there is mold remediation and exterior waterproofing ongoing on the west exterior wall.

“This is expected to be completed soon. Mold is not uncommon in buildings in our region,” according to the inspection.

There are several suspected areas of asbestos-containing materials including plumbing pipe insulation, the boiler, and 9×9 floor tiles. An asbestos survey was not conducted by Beshears.

“There are several stickers on items that caution for asbestos, so we believe that a survey has been conducted at some point on the building. It is typical for a building of this age to have asbestos containing materials present. Remediation would be necessary if there was asbestos present at a location that was planned to be altered,” the report states. “In conclusion, the building has been renovated many times and maintained since original construction. It appears to be in typical condition for a building of its age.”

The funds will come from the city’s unobligated year-end balance, which City Finance Director Andy Richards said is around $25 million. He said a fund balance at the end of 2025 will be around $18 million. Richards said the city will save around $350,000 a year in rent, but will have maintenance costs.

The property purchase coincides with Goal PFS-3.1 of the Future Fort Smith Comprehensive Plan, which states that the city will “Capitalize on the City’s municipal presence Downtown” as a means of promoting civic identity and pride, Interim City Administrator Jeff Dingman said in a memo on the purchase.