Benton County Quorum Court approves selling .65 million Division VI circuit court property to Bentonville

Benton County Quorum Court Approves .65 Million Sale of Division VI Circuit Court Property

Benton County Quorum Court has given its unanimous approval to sell the Division VI circuit court property to the city of Bentonville for .65 million. The sale includes the building and its adjacent 24-car parking lot located at 221 S. Main St. This decision is a key milestone in the county’s efforts to fund the expansion of its criminal justice system.

This deal comes after the county received a conditional letter of intent from the city, offering to purchase the property at its appraised value. County Judge Barry Moehring sees this as a great opportunity for the city to acquire significant property near the Quilt of Parks project while providing the county with crucial funding for its court facilities.

The county’s primary goal is to use the proceeds from this sale and the proposed sale of the Division II circuit court building to construct two new circuit court facilities near the Juvenile Justice Center. These new facilities will house the Division II Circuit Court judge and a new, additional judge that the county aims to acquire in the 2025 legislative session. The Division II building’s value has been appraised at about .5 million.

Accompanying the approval of the sale, the Quorum Court has also expressed its support for the creation and appointment of an additional, eighth circuit court judgeship. This move highlights the need for more criminal court facilities, as the current Division Two court facility is considered antiquated and undersized. The county hopes to break ground on these projects either late this year or early in 2025.

Following the sale, the Division VI Circuit Court will be relocated to the first floor of the county Administration Building. The county is now one step closer to addressing its critical need for additional criminal court facilities and improving the efficiency of its justice system.

County officials remain committed to acquiring the necessary facilities to support the additional judgeship and the expanding needs of the criminal justice system.

The success of this sale and the proposed expansion of the Juvenile Justice Center demonstrate the county’s dedication to enhancing its legal infrastructure and serving the growing needs of its community.

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