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Arkansas City to apply for National Park Service grant to update downtown historic district nomination
Summary
Commission authorized applying for a $25,000 Historic Preservation Fund grant to revise the Downtown Arkansas City Commercial District nomination; the grant requires a 40% match, which can be in-kind.
The Arkansas City Commission voted Jan. 7 to authorize an application to the National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund for a national register nomination to revise the Downtown Arkansas City Commercial District.
Josh, a city staff member, told commissioners the city previously conducted a district survey published in February 2018 and that the proposed project would remove demolished properties and consider adding buildings on the edge of the district. He said the city would apply for $25,000 to hire a consultant to prepare the nomination and that the program requires a 40% match; most or all of that match can be provided as in-kind services, he said.
Josh said the application would include consent to consider adding some city-owned properties, including City Hall, the police department parcel and Ben Gibbons Park, and noted the police property would be subject to district regulations if included.
Commissioners asked about timing and process. Josh said a consultant would likely begin work in summer if the grant is awarded and that the project would close out in 2026. He told the commission the city would likely be eligible for state historic tax credits for eligible rehabilitation projects if properties are listed.
A motion to authorize the application passed by voice vote; the resolution also cleared the path for staff to include city-owned properties in the study.
