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SouthArk to offer paid parking during MAD grand opening weekend

Posted on September 21, 2017

SouthArk to offer paid parking during MAD grand opening weekend

By Brittany Williams

This article was published today at 5:00 a.m.

At a board meeting Tuesday, South Arkansas Community College administration/finance vice president Carey Tucker announced that the college developed a plan to provide paid parking during the Murphy Arts District’s grand opening next week.

“We are going to set aside parking for faculty, staff and students for free if they make sure they have a windshield banner that’s got ‘MAD Event’ and their student or employee ID card … In some cases, some students are going to be working as part of MAD so they don’t have to pay for parking,” Tucker said. “Once we have our expenses paid, because we do have to have extra security, we’ll divvy up the hours of all those students working. We’ll give the excess to those student organizations.”

Nearly 600 parking spots will be available for a $20 fee during the MAD opening and space will be availble on a “first-come, first-served” basis, according to a press release from SouthArk. The lots will be open at 5 p.m. Sept. 28; noon Sept. 29-30; and 1 p.m. Oct. 1.

During a real estate and facilities committee report, board trustee Jose Covas said the college plans to purchase the former Reflections Hair Care building near the West Hillsboro/South West Avenue intersection.

“One of the things we want to do around our college is pick up as many properties in the vicinity to kind of clean things up,” Covas said. “The (real estate and facilities) committee met last month or the month before last and they brought the property to our attention … At that time, they were asking for around $200,000. The property was above market value so we asked them to go back to the drawing board, try to get some other offers in. Anyway, the appraisal came in around $145,000.”

Reflections, a 3,340 square-foot building located at 430 S. West Ave., is listed by Century 21 Commercial and Jan’s Realty for $175,000. Covas said the college settled at a price of $135,000.

The board approved the real estate and facilities committee’s recommendation to “go forward and purchase that property.”

Brittany Williams may be reached at 870-862-6611 or bwilliams@eldoradonews.com. Follow her on Twitter and like her on Facebook @BWilliamsEDNT for updates on Union County school news.