Jonesboro committee weighs two lease options to consolidate police operations

At its meeting, the City of Jonesboro Public Safety Committee reviewed two competing lease proposals to consolidate Jonesboro Police Department operations into two buildings.

Assistant Chief Amanda Waterworth told the committee the department aims to consolidate currently dispersed services into two sites because construction of a new 911 center will require vacating the existing Washington building. “The larger facility, initially is $375,000 annually. The other facility would be about $200,000 annually,” Waterworth said, summarizing the annual lease-cost comparison and noting tradeoffs in renovation and operational layout.

Police Chief emphasized urgency tied to building condition and upcoming construction. He said the current patrol building needs a new roof and has leaked for years: “That building is in need of a roof and has been in need of roof for the past 12 years,” he said, arguing for a rapid decision on a temporary consolidated location.

Two proposals were discussed in detail. Carol Caldwell, proponent of the Caraway Road site, said a portion of her property is already built out and immediate occupancy for approximately 6,000 sq ft is possible: “Half the building's already built out. Chiefs had the keys for a while. So you don't have to spend any money in 6,000 square feet,” Caldwell said. Staff described the Caraway building as about 12,000 square feet with the owner expected to bear a significant share of renovation costs; staff also said the Caraway proposal includes a tenant-improvement allowance in the neighborhood of $200,000.

Representing the First United Methodist Church, Don Parker said the church’s youth building is 36,000 square feet (correcting an earlier figure) and that the congregation is open to negotiating terms, including a purchase option if the city preferred that route. “The building is 36,000 square feet, not 33. I didn't want to make that clarification,” Parker said.

Committee members pressed for specifics on renovation costs, per-square-foot lease escalators, and how long it would take to put either site into service. Waterworth described a step-up per-square-foot structure in the church proposal (an initial low-year figure increasing over time) and contrasted that with a steadier per-square-foot figure for Caraway. Staff described the church remodel as a larger construction effort the committee estimated in the discussion at roughly $1,000,000 or more for a full conversion, while Caraway’s tenant-improvement work was characterized as an estimated $200,000; staff characterized these as rough estimates for planning rather than final bids.

The committee also discussed long-term implications. Staff noted the Caraway property is currently for sale and could be purchased, while the church indicated it would consider a purchase option if the council desired one. The police chief stressed the department cannot fully vacate the Caraway building without secure vehicle/evidence storage and 24/7 patrol bay access, so some operations would remain split in either scenario.

The committee did not take a formal vote to select a property at the meeting. The chair asked members to submit additional questions to staff and signaled the committee may call a special meeting to decide before any time-limited proposal deadlines. The committee closed communications and proceeded to the public-comment period, which produced no additional speakers on this item.