By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The Kansas Department of Commerce recently awarded nearly $9 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for 16 projects across the state. The city of St. John will receive $300,000 of those dollars for a commercial rehabilitation grant of the Hoods Haven building in downtown St. John. Stafford County Eco Devo Director Ryan Russell said four organizations have come together on the project.
"This is a partnership between the city of St. John - they're going to actually be managing the project with us," he said. "I will be assisting on the peripheral now because we don't own the building anymore. Tyler Wycoff and his company will be working with the city to pay its percentage, which is 25 percent of the project."
South Central Kansas Eco Devo will also assist with the project. CDBGs are based on income levels in communities, and St. John does not normally qualify. For the Hoods Haven building to qualify, it had to first be condemned by the city of St. John. The building was donated to Stafford County Eco Devo by the Hoods family for renovation purposes a little over a year ago, but as part of the grant application process, had to be sold. Two companies bid on the building, with Wycoff winning the bid.
While Wycoff Construction is a contributing partner to the project, it will not be doing any construction work on the rehab. Once the project is complete, Wycoff will have offices in the back of the building and Circle W Outfitters, a retail clothing store, will occupy the front.
The overall project cost is $400,000, and the block grant will cover 75 percent of the project cost with a 25 percent match, which will provided by Wycoff Construction. Russell expects bids on the work to go out in late September or early October.