A $1 per year lease for the old Northland Pioneer College (NPC) dormitories on Hermosa Drive was unanimously approved by the Holbrook City Council Tuesday night.
At a previous meeting, City Manager Ray Alley noted that the dormitory buildings, which are now owned by the city, are in need of repairs. The organization, CIO Ministries, has agreed to complete the repairs at its own cost in return for a three-year lease, renewable for an additional three years.
“I’d rather have someone in there taking care of things,” Alley had told the council. “They’re just sitting empty right now.”
Council members heard the second reading of the ordinance authorizing the lease, and voted to approve it with no discussion.
Following the approval, Don Daniels, who identified himself as a representative of both Christian International Outreach and ABC Fabrication, explained the plan for the dormitories to the council.
He noted that the group intends to repair and remodel the facilities, and use them as apartments. They will serve both missionaries and clients. According to Daniels, the missionaries will also work at a new production facility he intends to help set up in Holbrook.
Daniels told the council that next week he is inspecting the old partition plant, located near Interstate 40, just west of the old NPC dormitories, and hopes to be able to make an offer on the building. If successful, according to Daniels, the building would be used to manufacture prefabricated panels for housing.
He explained that although the ministry and the manufacturing plant are unrelated, the plant would help support the ministry’s goals.
“We have to work at a manufacturing plant so we can do our ministry work,” he said.
According to Daniels, planning is still in the early stages, but he expects to have an official announcement in about three weeks, if the purchase of the partition building is successful. He also told the council that he hopes to bring a national cabinet manufacturing plant to Holbrook within one year.
