Dollar General’s future in Prairie City looking brighter

Discussions continued about the potential addition of a Dollar General to Prairie City during the December city council meeting Dec. 11. A main talking point during this round was who would fund the addition of a water line to the proposed build site.

“In other cities they have done wells. They didn’t know it was in the city limits,” mayor Chad Alleger said. “The fact that it is annexed in they have to do public utility.”

The site currently under negotiation is owned by the Prairie City Economic Development Corporation and it located northwest of Casey’s. A 3.27 acres plot is being requested as a future site for Dollar General.

An estimate that was provided by MSA Professional services to put in the water line came in at about $160,000. About a third of the cost would come from having to direction boring to bury the line under a roadway.

At that price, the Overland Group, the company with Dollar General, would walk away Alleger said. He said the maximum dollar price the group would like to spend is about $150,000.

The council discussed the benefits of getting a water line to that piece of land including the ability to entice other businesses to come to Prairie City.

“If water gets over there, anybody else who builds could go off of it,” councilwoman Christy Lindsay said.

While it would be a large chunk of money for the initial build, any future establishments would have easy access to the line. The business could also potentially bring a substantial amount of funds to the city through area taxes.

“That first sale is kind of taking the bullet however you still have seven other acres out there that you can build on that you don’t have to worry about utilities because they are already there,” Alleger said.

While exact details of how the water line would be paid for where not hammered out, the council decided to move forward with an asking price of $150,000 for the property to help offset some of the costs.

Also during the most recent negotiation, the council requested “any veterinary hospital” and “distilling” be removed from the prohibited establishments neighboring the property portion of the contract and that all establishments be allowed on the lot north of the proposed location, other than direct Dollar General competitors. Those requests were approved along with a bump in the purchase price to $125,000, up from the original $96,000.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com