Cisco's Is No More

Bobbie Bicknell Coray, Reporter

Rich Civic Times 

It was not without a late night drama, before Bryce Nielson was allowed to pull his Cisco’s building out of Bear Lake with an enormous semi-truck. 

According to Nielson’s wife, Doreen, the State had decided that since the building did not come out of the lake by January 30, the Nielson’s had defaulted and the State Parks now owned the building, even though he had been given permission to leave it at the lake until the professional movers could come on February 12.

So they had to send their attorney to negotiate with the State and by midnight February 11, the Nielson’s were told that the State would sign off after they paid for a $2 million insurance policy.  The Nielson’s came prepared with bail money however, prepared to defy the yellow tape barrier, in case the notification of the sign off had not reached the local administrators.

Richard Droesbeck, State Parks, said that the state renews concessionaires licenses every 5 years and that this year they went through a process directed by the Division of Purchasing which made the specifications for the bid.  The bids were reviewed by the committee and the lease was awarded to Brian Hirschi in a more formalized procedure than the past.

Bryce Nielson offered to sell the facility and docks and other equipment for which he paid $250,000 for $115,000, but a significantly lower offer was made to him.  So he decided to sell off what he could and move the iconic Cisco’s. The move cost him $8,000. 

Nielson bought Cisco’s eleven years ago from Jack Dahl after Jack’s partner passed away.  Cisco’s has been at the marina about 20 years.

Laketown resident Dixie Nelson said with tears in her eyes, “It is sad. When you deal with a bureaucracy you never win.  I don’t think they will realize the impact of this for some time.”

Asked what would happen if the new operator did not build a new facility and operate it, Richard Droesbeck of Utah State Parks said that the State would have to rebid it.

After 20 years, Cisco’s is no more.

Cisco's in a temporary slip

 

Adding insult to injury, the boat motor would not start, so Bryce Nielson and friend had to row the
ropes to the opposite dock to hand pull the building to the ramp.
 

Easing it on to the semi-truck.

It took a pick-up pulling a semi to get the cabin moving.

Cisco's leaves the lake.
Photos by Bobbie Coray