Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

EDO Sets Trio Of Goals

Three ambitious goals have been made by the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office.

Reaching these goals, according to Walt Denton, executive director of the EDO, will allow Prescott and Nevada County to continue the economic success it has enjoyed during the past four years.

Goal one, he said, is the continued development of the local industrial park. The land in the park, a total of 150 acres along Interstate 30 between exits 44 and 46, has been cleared by the City of Prescott and is in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st century (TEA-21) phase of development.

This is a federal grant program with $73,000 already having been secured to develop interstate access into the park and to help beautify the park as well.

Once the TEA-21 phase is done, the city will go ahead with its plans to develop and build a 50,000 square foot speculative (spec) building in the park.

When the spec building is complete, Denton said, it will be a powerful marketing tool to recruit new industry into Prescott and Nevada County.

According to reports, he said, more than 80 percent of all industrial prospects are looking for areas with existing facilities. NRS Consulting Engineers are currently doing preliminary work on the future site of the spec building.

To utilize the TEA-21 monies, the EDO and City of Prescott must walk through a 42-step process with the Arkansas State Highway Commission. At this time, the EDO and city are between steps 11 through 14, but are moving steadily forward.

The second goal the EDO has established is the creation of a vision/strategic plan for Prescott and Nevada County.

This goal will be reached through certification with the new Arkansas Community of Excellence (ACE) Program criteria.

The new ACE program is designed to empower a community to thoughtfully and methodically determine the desired direction for its future, and to develop a plan to achieve its goals.

The idea is for communities to enhance their overall livability, while strengthening their competitive positions to retain and attract new jobs and investments.

It can also be used as a tool by communities to gauge how they are doing while working to achieve their goals.

The Interlocal Cooperative Industrial Development Board is working to recognize the key areas of ACE certification for Prescott and Nevada County.

Formal certification begins Jan. 1, 1999, with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC). The local EDO's objective is to be organized and ready to begin recertification efforts at the beginning of the year.

The third and final goal is the revitalization of downtown Prescott.

Denton said the heart of any city is its downtown area. This is how communities are perceived by visitors, while also representing an area's heritage. "Downtown Prescott," he said, "must be the most vibrant and active part of the community."

The EDO has taken steps to get Prescott designated as a Main Street City. Main Street Arkansas is a state and federal four-point program designed to revitalize downtown commercial areas in small cities across America.

"A strong, healthy downtown is a quality of life issue in addition to an economic one," Denton said. "The make-up of a strong community encompasses many things quality public education, comprehensive health care, strong city and county governments and it must also encompass the history and future of its downtown."

At this time, two teams have been formed to help establish the Main Street program in Prescott. The Main Street Finance Team, composed of city officials, community leaders and local merchants, have been given the responsibility of seeking out ways to fund the project.

The Main Street Team, composed of city officials and mostly downtown merchants, has taken on the challenge of working through the application process and getting actively involved in Main Street Arkansas with the goal of establishing Prescott as a Main Street city.

"Reaching these goals," Denton said, "will help further establish Prescott and Nevada County as a major player in Arkansas. Whether it is with a strong industrial base, community strength or quality of life issues, the EDO is working hard to set a strong economic foundation and establish proven programs to enable the community to compete and enjoy today's dynamic economic environment."