Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Courthouse Location Concerns Attorney

An Arkadelphia attorney has expressed concerns about building a new Clark County Courthouse at the Third and Fourth street location.

Travis Mathis, who represents property owners living on Third and Fourth streets in downtown Arkadelphia, said they don't want to sell and be relocated. There are four owners between First and Second streets, he said, who are willing to sell their land to the county for a courthouse.

This debate is raging in the county seat because of damage caused to the courthouse by the March 1 tornadoes. These storms damaged the structure, but not beyond repair.

There was talk of rebuilding the courthouse, renovating it and adding an annex onto it.

However, the 2025 Task Force, now the Arkadelphia 2025 Commission, polled citizens who said they wanted a new facility constructed for county government, and wanted it in the downtown area.

From there, location became the concern. The sites were narrowed to the First through Fourth street sections of the city. Locations at First and Second, Second and Third and Third and Fourth were all examined. The consensus was the Third and Fourth street site was the best place to build.

According to Mathis, though, the Fourth Street location could limit the growth of downtown Arkadelphia to the east and possibly destroy two existing businesses -- Adams Bookstore and Oscar Software -- along with several attorney's offices.

Mathis said he assumes all businesses affected by the tornadoes want to rebuild downtown again, but are waiting to see what will happen with the courthouse.

The barrister also questioned the federal disaster relief bill, asking if there was any federal money earmarked for Arkansas, if so, how much. Additionally, he wondered if any of these funds were to be set aside to help Arkadelphia rebuild, and again, how much.

"I don't know the tangible benefits of building on Third and Fourth," he said, "and not First and Second, but I do know the detriments. There's a lot (of people) here who care."

There has also been speculation the county will invoke eminent domain to gain control of the property on Third and Fourth streets. "Eminent Domain," Mathis said, "should be used sparingly. I can replace everything if I lose my office, but I don't know if Mrs. (Ozelle) Elms can." Elms' property is located in the Third and Main area.

Elms is an 86-year-old woman whose property was undamaged by the storms which demolished much of downtown Arkadelphia. Joy Adams, owner of Adams Bookstore, is Elms' neighbor. The 77-year-old businesswoman also survived the tornadoes unscathed.

Mathis said moving would adversely affect these women, should the county decide to put the courthouse in the Third and Fourth street location as planned.

"If this is the only place (the county) can build," he said, "it is unfortunate. If not, then it's even more tragic.

"I can't imagine why people are fighting for the Third and Fourth street location when there is an alternative."

Mathis said if the county is concerned with utility and economy, there is no reason not to refurbish and annex the existing courthouse. "I'm pleased they're going to redo it and use it," he said of plans to renovate the courthouse. "I want it to stay."

However, Mathis also said it was a good idea to put a new courthouse on Main Street and make it the focus of downtown Arkadelphia. "There are three things that draw people downtown," he said, "government offices, financial offices and Wells Shoe Store."

According to Mathis, of the First and Second street location, one property owner has said they will definitely rebuild, while two others had mobile homes on their land. A fourth owner has said they will be willing to sell. Still, he said, all owners in this area have said they would part with their property willingly.

"It would be cavalier use of the county's money," he said, "if (the court) believed something was being done in the people's good and not use eminent domain to do it at the best price possible."

He said, as an example, if the county wanted his property to use as a parking lot, it would have to pay him $200,000 unless it invoked eminent domain. He also admitted his property isn't worth this price.

"The best idea is to put the courthouse between First and Second," he said. "But everyone needs to pull together. We should all be willing to work to make any plan a success.

"We need to know the benefits of putting the courthouse between Third and Fourth and not First and Second.