FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) — The Fayetteville Public Library expansion is one step closer thanks to an Arkansas Supreme Court decision on Thursday (March 16).
The supreme court ruled that Washington Regional Medical Center is the rightful owner of a tract of land that housed the former Fayetteville City Hospital. As such, the hospital is free to uphold its agreement to sell the land to the city’s public library.
The old Fayetteville City Hospital, which sits just south of the library, closed in 2012 and has been vacant ever since.
Library Executive Director David Johnson said the city made a deal with Washington Regional Medical Center and traded the old city hospital property for a roundabout on North Futrall Drive in 2011.
In 2012, Washington Regional agreed to sell the four-acre property to the city for $2 million, but when the hospital started the process of transferring the deed, heirs to the original city hospital property owner raised some objections.
The heirs were upset the property, which was gifted to the city of Fayetteville, was being sold, so they took the issue to court. A lower court originally ruled in favor of the sale, but the heirs appealed it and the case has been tied up in litigation until it landed on the Arkansas Supreme Court docket.
The city passed a millage increase for the library expansion in August 2016. However, the library staff decided to hold off on developing the expansion plans until they knew the Arkansas Supreme Court’s decision.
Now WRMC will be allowed to follow through with selling the property to FPL, and the sale is expected to close shortly.
Now, the library is working with the city to find an architect for the project.
