Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Plans Are Told For Fish Nest Restaurant

A new Fish Nest restaurant is coming to Prescott.

Jon Chadwell, executive director of the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office, told the Prescott City Council, at its regular monthly meeting, about the new restaurant.

There are currently six Fish Nest restaurants in the state, with the closest one to Prescott in Malvern.

This, Chadwell said, will be a family style restaurant specializing in fish. However, there will also be a full menu of other items.

The Fish Nest will have a daily lunch buffet, with the weekends featuring a seafood fare on the buffet.

Chadwell said it will have seating for 240 people and be located at Exit 46 across the highway from Loves and between the Texaco station and the exit on the interstate.

The restaurant, he added, will have a meeting room for groups and organizations to use as they need.

Elmer Strand is the owner of the Fish Nest coming to Prescott. Chadwell said Strand wants this to be a fast track deal and be operational as soon as possible.

In fact, he said, the Fish Nest could be up and running in the next three months, depending on weather conditions.

This restaurant, he said, will create 35-40 new jobs in the area.

The restaurant, though, isn't the only good news on the economic front.

Chadwell also told the council about a series of grants the EDO is applying for.

One of these is a Streetscape Grant to help "dress up" some of the streets downtown.

The city already has met one of the criteria for the grant, having a streetscape plan in hand.

If the application is approved, the city will have to match the funds at a 1:4 ratio, or kick in 25 percent of the money.

The grant money would be used to improve sidewalks, curbs and the general atmosphere of the streets downtown.

Another grant under consideration is for historical preservation. However, the criteria for this grant calls for the property involved to date back to at least 1860.

One problem with this grant, Chadwell said, is it's a 50-50 match. This means for every grant dollar, the city must put in a dollar.

The EDO is also working on a grant to help purchase bulletproof vests for the Nevada County Sheriff's Office deputies.

The current vests the NCSO has are old, outdated and need to be replaced, Chadwell said.

A grant for the Prescott Police Department is also on the works, he told the council. This grant would be used to establish a drug prevention program.

And this isn't all. Chadwell said the EDO is working on two grants through the Economic Development Fund of Arkansas for two new roads in the area for businesses.

One of these would construct a road to Hanson Gravel, with the other building a road for the Rip Griffin Truck and Travel Center.

Chadwell also told the panel about a leadership program under development.

This program will train individuals in different aspects of community development and leadership.

It will take several months, he said, to complete, but those involved will learn leadership skills, the history of the area and economic development.

Then, when leadership in these areas is needed, the personnel will already be in place.

The classes, Chadwell said, will be kept small so there can be more interaction among the group.

The program will either take place in the fall of 2000 or the spring of 2001, whichever is best and can be worked into people's schedules.

A steering committee will be assembled to look into this program.

Chadwell will write a grant proposal to help cover the startup cost of the program.