Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – The Jonesboro Police Department (JPD) will officially have a second, interim location, after the city council Tuesday night approved the purchase of a building on Highland Drive.
The Jonesboro City Council unanimously approved a resolution to enter into a contract to purchase the former Shelter Insurance building, located at 1709 E. Highland Drive, to serve as a second police station, as well as an ordinance to apply for a loan to finance the purchase.
| READ MORE: Committee Forwards Second Police Station Purchase, Loan Application to Full Jonesboro City Council
The building is approximately 14,418 square feet, with 51 parking spaces, 29 office spaces, and two conference rooms. The purchase price is $2.75 million, with an additional $250,000 allocated for any renovation/customization costs. About 30-35 JPD employees will be relocated there.
“We offered $100,000 under asking price, which is also the value of the appraisal that we received. To help address the minor things here and there, both building professionals, independent architects, and now an independent inspector have looked at the building and agreed it appears solid,” Copenhaver said during the meeting.
He noted that Shelter agreed to leave a “substantial” amount of furniture.
The Shelter Insurance building will house JPD’s administration, records, criminal investigations, community outreach, and DARE programs, which were relocated to community centers and the former City Hall building after a structural issue caused the Justice Complex to be vacated.
JPD’s evidence, Internet Crimes Against Children division, patrol, mental health and wellness coordinator, training, warrants, court services, and Real Time Crime Center will remain at their current Caraway Road location.
Ultimately, the plan is to build a new police station in downtown Jonesboro, but that is several years away and will depend on available funding, JPD Chief Rick Elliott previously said.
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Funds to purchase the building are coming from a $3 million Amendment 78 short-term loan to be repaid over five years at 4.830% interest. The loan will be repaid through general fund processes, the city’s chief administrative officer Brian Richardson told JRN.
The ordinance to apply for this loan was read once, before Councilman John Street made a motion to suspend the rules and waive the second and third readings, which was unanimously approved. The ordinance was approved without any further discussion.
With the building purchase’s approval, city officials will work to close on the property Aug. 21, with move-in and renovations to begin Aug. 24. By November, the building would be operational for police work, and by the end of the year, the former City Hall building on Washington Avenue would be ready for demolition.
Before the council made the decision to purchase the Shelter building, two other properties had been looked into: First United Methodist Church’s youth building in downtown Jonesboro and the former Park Place Inn on Caraway Road. Ultimately, the council only considered the Shelter Insurance property.
| READ MORE: Discussion Regarding Location for Second Jonesboro Police Station Continues in Committee
“We know the challenges that we face right now with existing police facilities, and they deserve a quality work environment. The community deserves a place like the [Craighead County-Jonesboro African American] Cultural Museum to be back fully accessible,” Copenhaver said.
He continued: “Our police deserve better than working out of a poor condition old City Hall and temporary tables and desks in the community [center] side rooms. This provides a solution to that for hopefully several years to come.”
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