By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
At Monday’s Great Bend City Council meeting, Great Bend Economic Development Director Sara Arnberger revealed new details on a $7 million project to construct an Innovation Center. The finalized exterior renderings from the architects were presented to the council.
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The new community center will be located at the 10th Street and K-96 Highway intersection, in front of the recently opened Bright Beginnings childcare center.
"We have secured that land and look forward to starting site work shortly," said Arnberger. "You'll start to see that progress."
The Innovation Center has already received a $4.38 million state grant and will include areas for healthcare, education, childcare and entrepreneurship. Arnberger said Economic Development was able to secure another $394,000 grant from the Patterson Family Foundation and will be able to announce a separate $300,000 grant at a later date.
Arnberger said she is aware that the space is still elusive to everyone, with not many people understanding its purpose.
"This is going to be a place that's accessible for the whole community to get their hands on technology and tools that they wouldn't have had the chance before," said Arnberger. "It'll have a commercial kitchen, healthy foods, health monitoring services, cooking classes, etc. There's a whole gamut of things in there. We're very proud to bring it to Great Bend."
Arnberger is hopeful to break ground on the site before the end of the year and have construction done by the end of 2025.