By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The City of Hoisington received financial assistance from the Kansas
Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) this month for asbestos mitigation on the
abandoned Windgate apartments on north Vine Street.
KDHE will provide $75,000 to Hoisington for the asbestos mitigation. Once that
task is finished, the city can move forward with the demolition of five
buildings that housed 30 apartment units.
Hoisington City Manager Jonathan Mitchell said the state is requesting
contractor bids for the project.
"The state is soliciting interest from qualified contractors to do that," said Mitchell. "That will be through the state. Then they will contact us and let us know what our obligation will be on the asbestos mitigation. We're excited to see progress."
The City of Hoisington acquired the vacant apartments in January 2022 for
$200,000 and considered demolishing the structures to create housing lots.
After hearing proposals to renovate two of the old apartment buildings into a
child daycare home, the Hoisington City Council voted in May 2022 to nix the
idea and have the building demolished instead.