Rep. French Hill pushing to give unused federal building to Perry County
A former headquarters for the Ouachita National Forest has sat unused for years, despite the efforts of Hill and others to give it to Perry County for local use.
PERRYVILLE, Ark. — A rural Arkansas building that has sat unused for years could see new life thanks to efforts from lawmakers on the national level.
“For the past decade, I’ve tried to help local Perry County officials acquire this building from the Forest Service,” Representative French Hill (R-Arkansas) said, “And it just seems to be an impossible task.”
The building in question is located on the north side of Perryville at 1069 Fourche Avenue.
According to Perry County Chamber of Commerce President Donnie Crain, it used to be a headquarters for the Ouachita National Forest.
However, it hasn’t been used for that purpose in several years.
“Currently it’s not being used,” Crain said, “And so we’d love to have it used in a way that benefits the community and continues that going forward.”
That process began on Monday, when Rep. Hill filed House Bill 3187, which would give the building to Perry County for them to use.
Hill said he’s glad that this could wrap up a decade-long saga—although he wishes it hadn’t taken this long.
“It shouldn’t be this tough,” Hill said. “This is just one of those stories where you can’t believe sometimes how challenging the bureaucracy actually is.”
If this bill is successful, the building will house Perry County conservation efforts, as well as University of Arkansas extension programs and meetings for the local 4-H club.
Crain said it’s something the whole county can be excited about.
“It’ll be great for our youth, it’ll be great for our farmers, and it’ll just be great for the community to have this as a resource going forward,” Crain said.
Hill’s office did say the building will require some repairs and updates, but based on support from people like Crain and Perry County Judge Larry Blackmon, it seems like Perry County will gladly make them.
“When you have an asset that’s not used by the federal or state government,” Hill said, “One of the best things we can do is take that burden off their shoulders and off their balance sheet. Then you can let it be put into productive use to benefit society.”
The bill will now make its way to the House Natural Resources Committee, which is chaired by another Arkansan—Representative Bruce Westerman (R-Arkansas).
“I’ve talked to him about it,” Hill said, “And I’ve talked to Senator John Boozman about it in the Senate, saying, ‘Hey, help me expedite this so the people there in Perry County can benefit from transferring this building from no longer needed in the federal government to a badly utilized, badly needed and well-utilized asset in Perryville.’”