After a picnic dinner July 16, 150 members of Village Bible Evangelical Free Church voted unanimously to sell their current building at Town Center, the Rev. Mark Voll said.
An offer was made by an individual who has previously developed residential property in Bella Vista, Voll said. This will be the buyer's first commercial project.
The closing is tentatively set for Aug. 29. After that, the church will lease the building until its new facility on Forest Hills Boulevard is complete.
Mike Conyers, church trustee, cautioned that commercial real estate deals can be sensitive.
"Nothing is for sure until it's for sure," he said. The name of the buyer will not be released until the sale is final.
The church owns land on Forest Hills Boulevard and Buckston Drive. A groundbreaking for the new building was held July 16 as well.
It will take seven or eight months to complete the new 17,000-square-foot building, Voll said, although the schedule depends on weather.
Conyers said the church is working with both the Property Owners Association and the Centerton Water District to get the necessary water to the property.
"It's a unique situation because the property was not part of the POA," Conyers explained. But the property is part of the city of Bella Vista, and the city will require a fire suppression system for the new building.
A 4-inch waterline runs through the property and is included in the Centerton Water District. This line, while adequate for domestic water supply, would not support a fire suppression system in a building this size with a regular assembly of a large number of people.
The Bella Vista Village Water Department has a 12-inch waterline nearby on Buckston Drive that would provide adequate fire suppression, according to Bella Vista Fire Inspector Jim Neal.
The POA water system can only provide water to association members, Conyers said, so one solution may be to bring the property into the POA. But, he added, he's not sure how that works.
According to the Declaration and Protective Covenants that created the POA, only the developer -- Cooper Communities Inc. -- can bring property in, said Mike Taggart, director of maintenance and construction for the POA. He added that he's not sure how long that might take, but when the paperwork is done, his department will provide water.
"Cooper Communities has always been very fair to churches," Conyers said.
"It's a new situation," he said. "Everyone is just trying to figure it out. Everyone wants a positive solution, but it's going to take a little time."
General News on 07/23/2014