Businessman Pledges $1 Million For Downtown Plaza

The former owner of Power Service Inc., pledged $1 million to the downtown plaza on Wednesday.

Tony Cercy and Downtown Development Authority director Kevin Hawley announced the donation at a Chamber of Commerce event.

Cercy said he had been approached by a DDA board member a year ago, and had resisted the idea of donating to the plaza, to be known as the David Street Station.

But last week, Cercy met with the DDA board members who showed him what they planned and what the community would gain, he said. "And we believed in it."

Cercy met with his family, which decided to make the donation, he said.

"We lived here our whole lives," he said. "Our children were born here. We intend to stay here. This is our home, and we want to see this community grow."

The donation will be applied to the second phase of the David Street Station project. Last week, Hawley announced construction of the first phase of the plaza would soon begin and be ready by the solar eclipse on Aug. 17, 2017.

The first phase of the David Street Station will be built on the western side of the property near Ash Street and West Yellowstone Highway. This phase, costing $1.6 million, will include a concert stage and a concert lawn.

The second phase at West Yellowstone Highway and South David Street, is expected to cost $3.6 million, but Hawley said the DDA is trying to trim that amount. This phase will include an observation deck, splash pad and ice rink.

Last week, Hilltop National Bank and the True Family announced they would donate $500,000 to the second phase contingent on the DDA receiving the rest of the money for this phase.

Cercy, however, said his donation is free and clear without any contingencies. The Hilltop Bank and Cercy donations, plus other funding sources, bring the amount for the second phase to $1.7 million.

Cercy was president of Power Service Inc., until May when he sold it to the Houston-based DistributionNOW Inc. for an undisclosed sum. Power Service, located in Mills, is a major supplier of oil field service and other industrial equipment.

"We now have the means to reinvest in this community," he said. "This downtown development I truly believe is truly vital to bringing new companies, new investments into Casper."

In September, he and his son, Cole, announced their intentions to buy the legendary Wonder Bar, 256 S. Center St., and Poor Boys Steakhouse, 739 N. Center St.

Tony Cercy said the final paperwork for the sales will be signed Oct. 19. The day before that, the Casper City Council will conduct its first reading of the transfer of the liquor licenses from former owner Pat Sweeney and his companies to the Cercys.

Neither Tony nor Cole Cercy would comment about their plans for Poor Boys or the Wonder Bar.