City OKs plan to apply for grant for Food Pantry

The City of Prescott plans to purchase the building that now houses the Prescott Food Pantry with Community Development Block Grant funds through a coronavirus program was presented by representatives of the city’s engineering firm, Cedar Corp., at a public hearing last Monday night.

The city council gave the OK to apply for the permit, which would cover the cost to purchase the building and add a kitchen area for daily senior dining.

The Prescott Food Pantry building is located at 911 Pearl Street in what had been the pool building for the River Heights Motel. Cost to purchase and renovate the facility, including an expanded food pantry, was projected at $884,600, which would be covered by grant funds if approved.

The senior center portion of the building would allow for activities that have been restricted since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, because the Senior Gathering Place is located at Malone Intermediate School.

Patrick Beilfuss of Cedar Corp said that $3 million in the coronavirus CDBG program is earmarked for communities in west-central Wisconsin.

“These are projects to prepare for the coronavirus,” he said. In the case of Prescott, senior meals aren’t being offered because of he pandemic, and there is much more need for Prescott Food Pantry services.

Under the plan, the city would own the building and lease it to the food pantry with a sale to the organization possible in the future.

To help fight the pandemic, the building would have a COVID-19 testing and vaccination room. The project is supported by Pierce County Public Health.

The building is currently for sale, and the city and Prescott Food Pantry have been given until July 1 to put together a purchase plan at a price of $349,000.

No comments or questions came up at the public hearing. After the hearing the city council voted to spend up to $25,000 for matching funds for the application, which would be needed for project overruns if the city’s application is approved.

The council also approved spending $101,887.50 to pay for the courtesy dock under construction right now at River City Welding in Stockholm. All sections of the 300-foot long by 8-foot wide dock have been fabricated. The funds come from the city’s Tax Incremental Financing District #4 which will be used to facilitate riverfront improvements this summer. In a TIF district, tax revenue collected from properties within the district is used to pay for improvements. The dock will be installed for use this summer.

A meeting was also scheduled between the city and the Prescott Daze Committee for 5:30 p.m. March 18. When the pandemic descended last spring, the city and committee were working to hash out insurance and festival oversight issues. Discussions were moot, obviously, because the festival was cancelled courtesy of COVID-19.