Quorum Court OKs purchase of house and lot on Armory block

MAP — This screenshot taken from an actDataScout overlay shows the location of a lot set to sell to Clark County.

By JOEL PHELPS | arkadelphian.com

Another Arkadelphia property belongs to county government.

Members of the Quorum Court had no discussion Monday regarding a resolution that authorizes county Judge Troy Tucker to purchase, on behalf of the county, the lot at 420 Crawford St. for $15,000, excluding closing costs. The property has belonged to J W Holdings Inc.

It wasn’t discussed why the county is interested in buying the lot, though the pending sale was mentioned at the October meeting. With no questions, Justice Stuart Thomas moved to authorize the sale. The motion carried unanimously.

According to online real estate records, J W Holdings bought the property in 2007 for $18,000. The lot includes a 816-SF dwelling at the corner of Crawford and 5th streets. According to the Arkansas Secretary of State’s online database of registered corporations in the state, J W Holdings is registered to James Rogers, of Fordyce.

Once the sale is finalized, the county will own most of the block that houses the National Guard Armory on Crittenden Street. Lots on the northwestern and northeastern corner of the block — Southwest Probation Services and Ouachita Children’s Center, respectively — are owned by Northpark Properties Group. Top county officials like the judge have made no public mention of intent to buy additional properties on the block.

The county in 2024 purchased homes along the eastern side of the block from Ron Addington, who had an unsuccessful run for the county judge’s seat as a Republican nominee this primary election.

In other business at Tuesday’s Quorum Court meeting, justices:

• Heard quarterly reports from the Economic Development Corp. of Clark County, as well as Pafford Emergency Services. From the latter report, it was learned that the Pafford/Air Methods base will have a helicopter stationed at Dexter Florence Memorial Field until the operation moves to Baptist Health Medical Center-Arkadelphia.

• Sent an ordinance regarding transparency to its second of three readings at the November meeting. The ordinance, sponsored by Justice Michael Ankton, would require Quorum Court meeting agendas, approved meeting minutes, adopted county ordinances and resolutions, and the current annual county budget to all be posted on the county’s website.