City economic development efforts continue

* Behind the scenes, companies are mulling over the notion of coming to Nevada.

By Ralph Pokorny

Nevada Daily Mail

Although not much has been heard about economic development activities in Nevada during recent months there are several potential businesses looking at locating a facility here.

In July Jhan Hurn told the city council that Community Support Services has been approved by the state of Missouri to establish an Intermediate Care Facility for the Mentally Retarded in Nevada and they were looking for an appropriate location, preferably on the former Nevada State Hospital property, in relatively close proximity to the Nevada Habilitation Center. This will allow them to easily access the Hab Center's services when they are needed.

Tuesday night Ron Clow, director of planning, told the city council that Community Support Services has decided on a location for the complex of five group homes they want to build.

"It will require a zoning change and an ordinance change," Clow said.

The location under consideration is presently zoned R-1, single family, and that would need to be changed to some type of planned district and the city code requirement for group homes being located at least one mile apart would need to be changed to permit a cluster of group homes.

City water and sewer lines will also need to be extended west along Highland Street, Clow said.

This project will bring about 70 good paying jobs to town, he said.

Clow told the council that representatives from Walgreens would be back in Nevada in January to look at a possible location for a store. They had originally tried to purchase the property where the Golden Corral building is located. The property owners decided not to sell the property.

Once again there is a company interested in purchasing the spec building in the Nevada Industrial Park.

The interested company would not bring many jobs to Nevada immediately, but it is an established east coast company that will have the potential to expand, Clow said.

On Dec. 20, Clow said, there will be a meeting with the Vernon County Commission to look at establishing an Enterprise Zone that would encompass the city of Nevada, as well as, Deerfield and Coal Townships west of Nevada to help with the bio-diesel plant that is to be built about 12 miles west of Nevada near the community of Eve.

Enterprise Zones provide economic incentives for industries to locate in an area.