Pages

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

No comments at Brownfield public hearing

Another step has been taken, in the application process, to acquire a Brownfield Grant that will be used in the razing of the former Alexander Human Development Center (HDC) hospital building. The Alexander City Council held a public hearing before its October 20 regular council meeting. The purpose of the hearing was to receive public input concerning potential uses for the HDC property once the cleanup is completed.

Despite not receiving any public comment or suggestions during the hearing, Mayor Crystal Herrmann said, “We did a survey on our Facebook (page), and then we did a survey at Fall Fest. We have a lot of feedback, especially from the Fall Fest numbers.”

“Well, and the thing is, with that property is (sic) so large you can do multiple things,” Herrmann continued. “So, it's not like you have to stick to one thing or the other. But we've got green space, retail commercials, housing, municipal center, and other uses.”

Apparently, one person suggested a casino. “We couldn't legally get a casino even if we wanted to,” she said.

“Although, we should do Bingo,” Herrmann suggested. However, someone explained that only a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, such as a chamber of commerce, can conduct bingo in Arkansas.

Herrmann has been attempting to acquire a Brownfield grant in order to make the former HDC property safe for development. The grant program is funded by the EPA and is used to clean properties where the presence, or potential presence, of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant makes development difficult. The expectation is the hospital building contains asbestos, lead paint and potentially other unknown hazards.

The HDC property, located along Highway 111 in South Alexander, was originally purchased to build the first tuberculosis sanitarium for African-Americans in Arkansas. Eventually it was converted into a home for adults with special needs that required care and training from professionals.

When the Arkansas Department of Human Services no longer had a use for the property it was deeded to Alexander in 2018. Under state law the property could not be sold to an individual. It could only be taken over by another government entity such as a municipality or county.

No comments:

Post a Comment