There’s some paving activity next to North Platte Physical Therapy at Coulter Avenue and Mountain View Street. The heavy machinery might have got your mouth watering, if you happen to know the site next door is the location of a future Dairy Queen. 

Unfortunately, the work is only indirectly part of the construction of the new restaurant. In order to get enough land for the business, BallisticFX LLC made a land swap deal with the neighboring landowner, North Fork Investments LLC, for a small bit of that company’s parcel. BallisticFX got more land in exchange for doing some paving work on the North Fork parcel. 

However, don’t put your Blizzard spoons away just yet. Aaron Davidson, co-owner of BallisticFX, said they have completed all the engineering and architectural design work for the new restaurant. All they need now is to get a construction contractor, and Powell will have a Dairy Queen. 

“As soon as we can get a bid in … we can get started on that project,” Davidson said. 

As with all construction projects these days, BallisticFX has to contend with tight contractor schedules. Davidson said if they don’t break ground in the next couple months, it’ll be delayed a year — something they want to avoid. 

So, they’re really pushing hard to hire a contractor this summer for an opening date sometime this winter. 

In addition to the land from North Fork Investments, the Powell City Council in September approved the sale of a small sliver of land bordering Coulter Avenue in order for BallsticFX to have a long enough parcel for the franchise requirements. 

The appraisal determined the value of the property to be $35,000, but the council voted to sell the land for $5,000, plus expenses involved with the sale. State law allows municipalities to sell land for purposes of economic development, without opening the sale to bidders, so long as the city meets certain requirements, such as getting an appraisal and holding a public hearing. 

Since the city is saving on the cost of landscaping the 0.09 acre sliver, and the restaurant would generate tax revenue for the city, the council agreed to the lower price.