City buying building next to former Hall Theatre property

By Kyle Troutman [email protected]

A building formerly owned by the city of Cassville will once again be part of its property portfolio.

Richard Asbill, Cassville city administrator, said the city is purchasing the old city hall building at 210 W. 8th St., which sits adjacent to the former Hall Theatre Property where a pocket park is in the works.

“We were questioning Jerry Watley about the building, like the sewer lines and general layout, just so we would know what’s next to us [on the Hall Theatre property]. That developed into interest in purchasing the building. The Hall Theatre footprint is very small, and we were looking for bathroom options. We knew if we added bathrooms, the park would lose that square footage.

“This option allows us to incorporate bathrooms in the existing building. We will add a door on the east side facing the park, and that will allow for a community room with a kitchenette for things like birthday parties and private events. It will be another nice community gathering point. It will also make the pocket park more civically oriented.”

The Hall Theatre building burned on March 1, 2022, and last year, the city was able to purchase the property at a trustee’s auction for $3,000. The city had previously paid for demolition and cleanup, and a community committee was formed to determine what to do with the space. That committee settled on a pocket park, with seating, a small playground and a pavilion.

Asbill said officials had been considering pre-cast bathrooms, similar to what is at the City Park by the ballfields, but with the opportunity to buy the old city hall, plans changed.

“Getting water in was no problem, but getting it out is tougher,” he said. “A remodel of the [old city hall] will make having bathrooms way more achievable, and it’s a net savings compared to the cost of installing new bathrooms and a new sewer line. This allows us to keep bathrooms as a needed piece, but not a focus for the budget.”

Cassville City Council has approved a resolution to buy the building, at a cost of $85,000, with the closing date set for March 2.

The pocket park’s completion date is yet to be determined, as Asbill said the timeline is fluid for financial purposes.

“In the background, we’ve been working with architects and looking at qualifications,” Asbill said. “There is one out of Bentonville, Ark., that we believe will bring a good perspective on the historical piece, plus being a civic draw with a small fiscal footprint. Once we begin working with the architect, that will allow us to do bids for concrete work and demolishing the remainder of the south wall next to Wishing Wells before May.

“We have an open window on pocket park construction because we’re not sure of those concrete and demolition costs. We’ve asked Council to be flexible with a soft timeline so we don’t force ourselves into spending money too quickly.”

To expedite construction, Asbill said the city would be open to taking investors or donations.

“We are always open to an individual or groups looking at the park as an investment,” he said. “A memorial or family naming rights would be an option, and if that happened, we would develop a firmer timeline.”