Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Courthouse To Be Renovated, Utilized

Clark County's courthouse will be renovated.

The courthouse will also be used to house offices.

But, it will not be used to operate the county from.

Clark County Judge Grady Runyan said the county will put $1 million into the renovation of the century-old structure, but won't move back into it.

He said the $1 million should completely restore the building. An architect is working to design a new shape for the interior of the facility, while the exterior will remain the same.

According to Runyan, the renovation will begin with a temporary roof being put on to keep the rains out. He said the circuit clerk's office and the old courtroom may be utilized. In fact, he continued, all of the circuit court offices may be put in the courthouse.

Otherwise, the courthouse will be used as a museum for the county. Runyan said the ceilings will be lowered and new heating and air conditioning units installed. The walls will also be redone and more electrical outlets and wiring added.

"It will be a beautiful building when we're done," he said. "We're going to do it right."

Outside, there will be one change. New handicapped accessible steps will be installed.

Runyan also talked about building in a kitchen to cook food for inmates of the Clark County Jail. He said the county spends between $6,000 and $8,000 per month on meals for the prisoners.

In the meantime, though, all county offices will remain in their temporary trailers on the back side of the courthouse.

A land acquisition committee has been formed, Runyan said, to look into purchasing two blocks on Main Street downtown. Should this land be bought, a court complex will be built there.

"I had set a smokescreen and scared people to death," Runyan said of his earlier statements on razing the courthouse. "I got $1.2 million tax free.

"We had $2.5 million we thought we would use to restore the old courthouse and add an annex. But, on meeting with (State Rep.) Percy Malone and Bill Wright (county attorney), the justices were afraid to speak their piece. They were scared to say what they felt and all voted against the annexation.

"It gave me a hard time and made me look bad," Runyan said. Earlier, the judge had made statements the courthouse would be renovated, restored and an annex added with the county offices staying in the revamped facility. "It bothered me they changed their minds so quickly," he added.

According to Runyan, Dr. David Glasser, from the University of Arkansas Community Design Center, has been saying no one will rebuild in downtown Arkadelphia until they know what the county plans to do.

Runyan said, Glasser has stated other businesses won't move back downtown unless the courthouse is there as well. When Runyan questioned Glasser as to how he came by this information, Dr. Glasser reportedly said there were no actual grounds for his opinion, just gut feelings.

So, Runyan said, the current situation has the county looking to buy two blocks in downtown Arkadelphia to build a new court complex on.

The old courthouse, he said, will be renovated and used for the aforementioned things.

But, he said, these plans are not carved in stone and could change.