By Charles Owens
For Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Princeton — Efforts to reopen the former Reel Catch site in Princeton are ongoing.
City crews have been busy in recent weeks making upgrades to the recreational site, including painting the dinosaurs that will once again be on display. Furthermore, the city is working to get a new restaurant opened at the site.
A public hearing will be held on Wednesday, June 24, at 5 p.m. at Princeton City Hall to receive input on two applicants that have submitted plans for a restaurant at the site, according to Samuel Lusk, executive director of the Princeton Economic Development Authority.
The restaurant is one of several upgrades planned at the Reel Catch site, which also includes miniature golf and a fishing pond. A golfing simulator also is being considered for the site, according to Lusk.
Reel Catch was previously a privately-owned facility, but the city of Princeton was able to purchase the property earlier this year through a contribution provided by the Preservati Family Foundation.
Lusk said two public hearings will be held on June 24 for the two applicants, which are Hall Hospitality, Inc. and Whitehouse Cafe LLC.
“So with the Reel Catch property acquisition the space has great potential for recreation,” Lusk said. “Part of the property includes the restaurant building and the city is pursuing avenues to potentially lease out the building to potential occupants. That is what this public hearing is for is to explore the possibility with two potential applicants.”
“We are in the process of upgrading the dinosaurs and painting them and getting them prepared for the upcoming season. We hope to have the putt putt up and ready to go by this July. There is a lot of exciting improvements to the Reel Catch property with the restaurant, the putt putt, the pond and the walking trail.” — Samuel Lusk, executive director of the Princeton Economic Development Authority.
Lusk said city council may or may not make a decision at the June 24 meeting with regards to leasing out the restaurant portion of the property to a potential applicant.
Other improvements also are underway at the Reel Catch site ahead of the planned reopening of the recreational area, including improvements to the miniature golf area.
The city’s acquisition of the property included not only the fishing ponds and miniature golf, but also the large dinosaur models that were often on display along the Brick Street property where they were visible to motorists passing by.
“We are in the process of upgrading the dinosaurs and painting them and getting them prepared for the upcoming season,” Lusk said. “We hope to have the putt putt up and ready to go by this July. There is a lot of exciting improvements to the Reel Catch property with the restaurant, the putt putt, the pond and the walking trail.”
Lusk said the city would like to see a restaurant opened at Reel Catch as soon as possible.
“What we are asking, and again this is subject to negotiation and change, but we are asking the tenant to move in as quickly as possible,” Lusk said. “If the tenant could move in this summer that would be ideal.”
The Reel Catch property abuts an 11 acre site of land also owned by the city where the new wave pool and aquatic center, multi-purpose fields and dog park are being developed. Thus visitors to the wave pool site would be able to walk to the Reel Catch property site when it is reopened and vice versa.
Princeton City Manager Mike Webb also said work is continuing on the Reel Catch site.
“They are working on getting the dinosaurs cleaned up,” Webb said, adding that improvements also are underway to other parts of the property.
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