The Springdale City Council voted Tuesday (April 9) to condemn six parcels on 56th street. The city plans to make the road into four lanes from Watkins Avenue to Don Tyson Parkway.
According to the council's agenda, negotiations between the city and property owners were unsuccessful. Moving forward, the city will take the land by force for a price.
One of the property owners is Victory Church, which already lost their church building to make way for the Don Tyson Interchange.
The church and the city are still in a legal battle for compensation on that land. According to Pastor Billy Coffman, they bought the property on 56th street to rebuild their church. However, he said, because of city codes the church can't rebuild there and now the city wants half an acre to expand 56th street.
"For us it means that we take the same steps that we have had to take in the past, which means that we have to employ an attorney to work on our behalf to get try and get the right appraisal figures before the council so we get a fair and honest buyout," Coffman said.
Victory Church members are in a temporary building on Industrial Circle in Tontitown. Coffman said they plan to rebuild nearby once they have enough money and plan to make the temporary building into their offices.
The 56th street improvement project is part of a group of construction projects the city along with the highway department are undertaking. Others includes the Don Tyson Interchange and expanding the Elm Springs overpass.
