FISH tops off commercial building with signed beam

Construction workers place the final beam for the commercial building of Friends in Service Helping’s (FISH) student housing project Friday. The beam was signed by local donors for students to see once they begin occupying the building. Photo by Jessica Garcia.

By Jessica Garcia

Friday, July 7, 2023

Friends in Service Helping topped off the commercial building of its student housing project Friday with a beam signed by donors and dignitaries.

Messages of encouragement or names from FISH supports on the beam will be visible to families who will be actively trained by FISH once the building is completed this winter, according to executive director Jim Peckham.

“It’s just the beginning of the end,” Peckham said. “Hopefully we’ll have this roofed and closed off, and we’ll start working on the interior. We’ll have it available for renting office space and hopefully a restaurant on the main floor in January.”

The student housing project is comprised of three buildings, including two apartment complexes off North Carson Street by Donuts to Go with 36 units and the commercial building, to add to FISH’s transitional career training needs for clients working to get out of poverty Peckham said.

“Most of our qualified and motivated clients that were eligible for the training program in the trades were single parents,” he said. “Oddly enough, 40% were single men and male parents and 40% single females. We know it takes skill to survive in poverty, but it’s a whole different skill set to survive outside of poverty, so we’re going to send the parents to school so they have a trade.”

FISH wants to help parents establish skills in nursing, welding, trucking, manufacturing, crane operating and more, Peckham said. The third-floor space in the commercial building will be dedicated to their training, with the second floor to be used as an office and will offer a balcony view to North Carson Street and the main floor will be a restaurant.

The winter, however, delayed construction by about five months. FISH still waits on delivery of electrical switch gear that had been expected three months ago and is now anticipated in the next two months to help finish the project.

“We didn’t design a giant swimming pool, but we had one for a long time,” he said.

He is hopeful that the new setup will help to motivate the neighborhood’s properties.

“We talk about it being a revitalization so that it revitalizes Carson City, revitalizes the workforce and it revitalizes the economy,” he said. “We think it will be an example and (businesses) can upgrade their properties here. We expect that people will notice the architecture and some of the things going on North Carson like we’ve done in the downtown area.”

FISH continues to seek out funds for its project, with about $12 million of its $17 million secure.

“We’re still looking for people who might want to put their name on the building or do it anonymously … because if we’ve got to take out loans, then we’re going to pay $75,000 a month in interest and that makes it harder for us to make it affordable for the people that we’re helping,” he said.

Peckham encouraged potential donors to check out FISH at www.nvfish.com for details.

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