By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Construction of the Stafford County Port Authority (SCPA) continues to draw nearer. Earlier this month, the Stafford County Zoning Commission unanimously approved a special use permit for the construction of the port. The matter next goes before the Stafford County Commission for approval in October. Stafford County Eco Devo Director Ryan Russell called the approval a big step.
"The people around the property were all at the meeting, so the people that own property were there to hear about the port," he said. "We basically needed to have a public meeting to able to get a permit to start building on the property."
There are still many moving pieces in the project, but SCPA President Carolyn Dunn said accurately presenting the project and getting approval from the zoning board now is important for future steps in the project.
"We've tried to balance this with being at a stage in the process where we can more accurately represent how we envision this development evolving," she said, "but also getting the permit in place so that doesn't become a question mark that would hold back either funders or other companies from committing."
SCPA is in negotiations with Nebraska-based Adams Industries to be the port operator. Adams Industries is a supply-chain services company that specializes in trucking, warehousing, transloading, and logistics.
More than $5 million has already been raised for the project, and 256 acres of land have been purchased for the port, which will serve as a transportation and shipping hub near the junction of US-50 and US-281 highways near a BNSF railroad mainline.
SCPA received a $2.5 million Building a Stronger Economy (BASE) grant in April 2022, and was awarded another $2.5 million from the Kansas state legislature for the project. Another $800,000 was awarded to Stafford County Eco Devo to loan to SCPA with flexible payment terms. SCPA President Carolyn Dunn has also applied for a large federal grant.
"There's more than one federal grant opportunity that we may be able to pursue," she said. "I think, regardless, it's going to be a piece of how we carry this forward. We just don't have certainty on which grant program is going to fund how much."