Governor Laura Kelly today announced that two rural communities will each receive $250,000 in federal grants to assist with community development projects. The $500,000 will be matched with $1,236,632 of local funding, totaling more than $1.7 million of new investment in Emporia and Osawatomie. … So far this year, five Commercial Rehabilitation projects have been funded for a total of almost $1.1 million. Earlier announced grants are assisting Atchison, Independence, and Meriden. … The Osawatomie and Emporia Commercial Rehabilitation projects meet the CDBG national objective of revitalizing downtown commercial districts:
- Osawatomie funds will be used to fix roofing, windows, and doors and demolish an attached garage of a downtown building. The first floor will be used for commercial space, with short-term living rentals on the second floor.
- Emporia will use the grant to install a sprinkler system and roofing, repair a masonry wall, and make ADA improvements to a downtown building. The first floor will consist of office space, an art studio, and community space. The second floor will consist of short-term lodging units.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce