Ribbon-cutting for FISH housing project a ‘God thing’

Carson City officials celebrated the realization of Friends in Service Helping’s student housing project with a ribbon-cutting Friday at 138 Long St.

Executive Director Jim Peckham announced the first apartment building was nearly complete as of Friday with the Carson City Fire Department expected to do its final inspection on Monday. FISH has been working with general contractor Plenium Builders, a division of Q&D Construction.

“I tell people this is really a God thing,” Peckham said in welcoming the crowd.

The grand opening hosted Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony, Assemblyman PK O’Neill and Carson City Mayor Lori Bagwell, who presented certificates thanking FISH for its role in the community seeking to provide “a hand up, not a handout,” as Peckham describes the nonprofit’s mission. He also thanked John Copoulos, project architect, and Plenium Builders, general contractor, for their development and partnership.

The housing complex consists of two apartment buildings and a commercial building located off North Carson Street next to Donuts to Go. The buildings feature 36 units for students who are seeking career opportunities and training, Peckham said. FISH hopes to focus on parents who want to establish a trade in nursing, welding, trucking, manufacturing or other job areas and will work with Western Nevada College to connect them with the resources and classes.

WNC President Kyle Dalpe attended Friday’s event and said he looked forward to assisting with helping students get their high school equivalency or training into skilled labor for the region.

“I’m happy to see where they’ve progressed with this,” Dalpe said. “We’ve worked with FISH to help support their clientele who may need access to this looking for educational training … or have students come up to the campus and get their transportation taken care of.”

The goal is to help reduce generational poverty and provide sustainable and meaningful employment opportunities for families who have been unemployed or underemployed as they focus on their technical training. Access to college-level education through partner-level community organizations such as WNC and regional businesses also are a part of FISH’s vision to revitalize Carson City’s downtown needs, Peckham said.

The event offered a chance to tour the complex where the Whistlestop Inn once sat. Apartments will offer one- and two-bedroom units that range between 500 and 700 square feet and meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, according to Peckham. The project’s training center in the commercial building, once complete, will feature a restaurant and ice cream or coffee shop and classes on its second floor.

FISH has been offering opportunities for community members and businesses to donate about $2,500 for sponsorships, which allow them to establish a plaque with their names posted on apartment rooms. In all, FISH raised about $12.7 million of the $17.5 million total for the project. Peckham also thanked local providers such as Carson Tahoe Health for its part in FISH’s medical clinic and Nevada Rural Housing Authority, which provided 20 vouchers for individuals with low income who are not working or are low income.

Carson City Supervisors Maurice White and Lisa Schuette came out in support of the work.

“I think the project is fantastic,” Schuette told the Appeal. “It provides an option to students who otherwise would have the extra challenge of finding housing and pay for housing. As Jim said, it helps with the wraparound services we all need and we’ve all benefited from and having that safe place to land.”

FISH board member Amy Clemens, who also toured the building, said she joined the organization to support its role in the community.

“We really get to affect people’s lives and help people become citizens that are out of poverty level, breaking the cycle, people who get to literally have a job with insurance and benefits and a place to live and be supported while they’re getting an education that will completely change their lives and their children’s lives,” Clemens said. It’s such an honor to be a part of this project.”