Van Buren Legislator seeks input on tunnel vision

Rep. Rick Green, R-Van Buren, finds himself in the middle of the growing debate about whether to build a $1.8 million tunnel between the Arkansas State Capitol building and a nearby office building.

House Speaker Robbie Wills, D-Conway, and Sen. Steve Faris, D-Malvern, are pushing to use empty space in the office building (Big Mac building) for Legislative member offices and connecting via a tunnel the offices to the capitol building. Constructing offices and meeting rooms in the almost 70,000-square-foot space available in the Big Mac building is expected to cost $6.5 million, with the 100-foot tunnel adding another $1.8 million. The space became available when the Arkansas State Library moved out.

Wills, Faris and other legislative officials have said the offices are needed — members of the Arkansas House of Representatives now have no private place to meet with constituents — and the tunnel would protect the passage of people, equipment and documents traveling between the office space and capitol.

Gov. Mike Beebe has said the tunnel is an unnecessary cost, but would agree to release money for the office work.

Green, a member of the Joint Committee on Legislative Facilities, tells The City Wire he supports the office space, but has doubts about the tunnel. Green said the committee is expected to meet Wednesday to further discuss the plans.

“The legislature continues to weigh the pros and cons of providing work space for all legislators. This would include moving the Bureau of Legislative Services to the Big Mac Building opening up space for legislators. The cost during a time of recession vs the opportunity for space that doesn’t come along every day has to be weighed and discussed,” Green said in a statement to The City Wire.

Continuing, Green noted: “The offices will be cubicles and not plush by any means. My first concern is whether the public sees this as necessary with a part-time Legislature? My second concern is the cost (estimated at $1.8 million) to build a tunnel between the Capitol and the old library (Big Mac building).”

Editor’s note: Green, one of the few Republicans to be brought in to the leadership circles in the Democrat-controlled Legislature, is seeking input on this issue from readers of The City Wire. Your well-reasoned opinions may be offered as comments to this story. Green has said he will be watching.