OCR Text |
Show An open house is scheduled for the new Panguitch Business Incubation Center, located in the old high school building on Main Street Advocates of the PANGUITCH The same attributes of creativity, perseverance, persever-ance, and economic practicality that motivated their pioneer ancestors an-cestors have coalesced in the present leaders of Panguitch. Their ability to utilize those attributes has resulted in the resurrection of the community's once discarded nearly 60-year-old former high school's transformation transforma-tion into a center for development of new businesses in the economically econom-ically depressed city. An open house, sponsored by the City of Panguitch, is set for Saturday, June 7 from 1 to 7 p.m. to show off the revitalized facility that now houses the Paunsagaunt Wildlife Museum, Cherry's Juice Bar, and a gift shop, Panguitch Cabinet Shop, and the Wooden Toy Shop. County residents will be admitted free to the museum and smoothie samples will be provided from the juice bar. Free gifts will be available with a purchase at the cabinet and toy shop. Termed a "Business Incubation Incuba-tion Center," the old Panguitch high school building is now typical of such redevelopment centers throughout the nation, although the concept originated in Europe. The Small Business Administration says that the purpose of most small business incubators is to reduce small business failures by making it easier for them to survive the critical early stages of business development. The goal is achieved by providing inexpensive, inexpen-sive, appropriatey-sized space, access to commonly required administrative support services, and access to management, financial, finan-cial, and technical assistance. All new businesses make mistakes, but incubators give new firms "breathing room" to learn from errors that could otherwise be fatal. Valuable working capital is preserved by reduced overhead in an incubator facility. A second goal of most incubators is to "graduate" their tenants to conventional quarters when the businesses strong enough to stand on its own. Advocates of the Panguitch BIC say that the local center has helped small businesses get a start, provided jobs, helped to clean up and make Center Street more attractive, preserved the historic old building, provided some badly needed evening entertainment for tourists, and generated more pride in downtown down-town Panguitch. There are now more than a thousand such centers throughout the U. S. located in both urban and rural areas. Because of decisions made by the Panguitch City Council, the Panguitch Incubation Center has moved from its fledgling start to a Photo By Marvin J. Bell business center say that the BIC will help new businesses get started and provide badly needed jobs in the Panguitch area. Panguitch Will Host Open House For Old PHS Business Center more mature position in the city's economy. Its renovated space is now 85 percent occupied and productive, providing 13 new jobs. The old building had been donated to the city and after 10 years of neglect and abuse was in poor condition with windows broken, bro-ken, its roof leaking, floors buck: led and its walls and ceilings collapsed and peeling. The city's officials focused on the building's infrastructure its electrical system, plumbing, heating and access. New building codes required upgrading to accommodate ac-commodate new regulations for the handicapped. Several funding sources were used in its renovation. A grant of $69,000 from the Utah Rural Community started the ball rolling, with the city contributing $5,000 and in-kind contributions of $10,000 for a total of $84,000. Another grant from the U.S. Rural Assistance Program administered admin-istered by the U.S. Forest Service for $20,000 with $4,500 in-kind contributions and $4,000 by volunteers vol-unteers brought the total to more than $112,000. The Five County Association of Government's Revolving Loan Fund provided another $25,000 and an additional U.S. Rural Community Assistance Program grant upped the ante by $11,800, with Panguitch City topping it off with $5,000, for a grand total of $154,000. More than 1500 hours of additional volunteer labor were also donated on some of the (See Panguitch Business Incubation Incuba-tion Center on Page 2A) Panguitch Business Center Open House From Front Page following work: In the gymnasium, the ceiling tile grids were removed along with the heating network. Walls were pulled out, nails removed and lumber stacked. Volunteers salvaged hardwood flooring from the old Panguitch LDS Stake Center and installed it I the gym. They cleaned up the old floor, tore out old flooring and made ready for repair or replacement. The removed all old broken glass and installed new window panes before doing a final cleanup. In the restrooms, old partitions and fixtures were removed along with the shower stalls and floor. Glass was replaced in the windows win-dows before a final cleanup. In the hallways and classrooms, class-rooms, some walls were removed and the floor coverings removed. The walls were prepared for plastering before being painted and final cleanup. Contractors used included architect Lynn Elliot; A & F Electric; Dodds & Talbot Construction; Con-struction; Lamont Savage Construction; Con-struction; Keith Robinson, Plaster; Plas-ter; Aaron Bybee Plumbing; Inter-west Inter-west Medical Handicapped Lifts; Bundy Stucco, Plaster; A.J.C. Electric; Egdens Carpet Outlet; Pioneer Floor Covering; and Orson Or-son Worthen's Color Country Roofing. In addition to the daily cost of operation and maintenance of the common areas (restrooms and hallways), the only other expense to Panguitch City if the annual payment to the Five County AOG Revolving Loan Fund. The loan is at 5.25 percent interest for seven years at annual payments of $4,275.50. Separate electric and propane meters assure that each business pays for its own utilities. Renovation of the upstairs hallway and classrooms has recebtly been completed. The space is now available for occupancy. |