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Chamber director says Prescott revitalization gaining momentum, urges fundraising and partnerships
Summary
The chamber director told the Prescott City Council the revitalization committee is drawing strong community interest, reported recent events and scholarships, and urged forming a tax-exempt association and university partnerships to plan and fund downtown building repairs.
The Chamber director told the Prescott City Council that recent community activity shows growing interest in downtown revitalization and that the town will need donations, grants and local partners to move repairs forward.
The director summarized a busy month of events, saying the Chamber helped or hosted a Community Coffee and a Farmers Bank and Trust open house and organized a banquet. The Chamber distributed $250 scholarships to honor-roll students at Nevada and recognized 22 Arkansas Scholars at the Prescott awards, the director said. "We hosted or we helped Hamilton Haven host the Community Coffee. That was very well attended," the director said.
On revitalization work, the director said the committee has met twice since its initial meeting and that turnout at a library meeting required bringing in extra chairs, which the director described as a positive sign. An on-site walk with an out-of-state architect, Tim Hughes, included a quick assessment of building stability; the director said Hughes identified at least one salvageable building and suggested reaching out to a Harding University class to develop a planning project that could save the city money.
The director urged the council and community to consider forming an association with tax-exempt status to accept donations and attract business contributions to fund repairs, noting that grants and outside funding would be needed to restore properties. "It's going to take donations and money," the director said, describing formation of a revitalization organization as one possible path to raise funds.
The director also cited the recent rollout of an electronic sign used to promote revitalization efforts and listed upcoming community activities, including a community coffee at Fair Hill EHC. No formal motions or votes on funding were recorded during the meeting; the director said next steps include exploring organizational and funding options and following up with potential university partners for planning assistance.
