As Lauderdale County leaders move ahead with plans to demolish the old Village Fair Mall to make way for a new courthouse complex, a real estate broker has turned his attention to some of the land on the site.  

Van Lewis of Landmark Realty told the Board of Supervisors Thursday that he has two clients that he felt would be interested in developing excess property if the county were to put some of it up for sale. 

“One of the clients that I’m working with assures me that he can bring two name-recognized entities to this project,” Lewis said. 

The county purchased the 39-acre property off 22nd Avenue last June for $1.25 million and supervisors have said they’d like to sell some of the land to help recoup costs. 

Board attorney Lee Thaggard told Lewis the county still needed to determine where the courthouse complex would be located and what property would be available. 

Lewis encouraged the board to move quickly. 

“If you have a major retailer that’s looking to locate on this property, I think that’s more important than where you put your government building,” Lewis said. 

Following the meeting, District 5 Supervisor Kyle Rutledge said he was excited that there was interest in the land. 

“Every bit we can recoup will be great. That’s less burden on the taxpayers,” he said. “All of that is important, but we have to focus and make sure the courthouse has the most priority out of anything.”

Earlier this month, supervisors voted in support of plans to issue a bond of up to $10 million, which could be used for a number of projects, including the courthouse complex, road and bridge repair, playgrounds and recreation centers and firefighting equipment.

Concerned citizen Tommy Williams, a Marion resident, told the board Thursday that citizens would be petitioning against the move. 

“If you don’t have the money, why do you not have the money? And if you really could justify having the money, then you need to raise taxes,” Williams said. “You need to take control of your budget and you need to have it distinguished between what deserves long-term capital expense funding versus ordinary income.”

Supervisors discussed the bond issue at length before the vote, with Rutledge encouraging a shift away from bonding. 

“I think we need more discussion about, as we get closer, how the monies are going to be spent,” Rutledge said Thursday. 

In recent years, Williams has been a regular presence at supervisors’ meetings and has scrutinized county spending and open government. 

During a trial last February, Williams’ attorney argued four objections against supervisors for spending bond money on other projects while the Lauderdale County Courthouse remained “neglected.”

Judge Charles Wright Jr., of the 10th Circuit Court, ruled that Williams didn’t have sufficient standing and dismissed the case.