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| "The
reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable man persists
in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends
on the unreasonable man."
Business
Start-ups, Retention and Expansion
A St. Marys entrepreneur, with whom we have worked in the past, and with whom our SBDC business consultant has also worked, is opening a unique new specialty bookstore in downtown St. Marys. This will add to the small but growing niche retail "cluster" in downtown which includes a gourmet coffee shop, unique hand-made gifts, high-end women's clothing, a pharmacy and others. This small cluster will hopefully grow and expand in the future so St. Marys once again enjoys a vibrant downtown. St. Marys Chamber members and others are working to revitalize the downtown core of St. Marys. The first step in this process will be to try to mitigate the property tax rates for commercial properties that need work, are vacant, or are about to become vacant. Other actions are in the conceptual stage but work has begun to visualize a new future for the downtown area of this very historically significant town. St. Marys Chamber board members and others are also working to conceive a new future for the soon-to-be abandoned St. Marys National Guard Armory. This armory is a historic building that has been used by the Kansas National Guard for many decades. Recent consolidation of much of the Guards' operations and organization has led to their vacating this property soon. Alternative uses as a community center and/or heritage interpretive center and/or business incubator, etc., are all under consideration. Ethanol: Two proponents of building an ethanol plant in Pottawatomie County continue to make inquiries and do preliminary work. By mid-November, we should have some notion of the feasibility of one or more of these proposals. We then hope one or the other proponents will offer local investors an investment prospectus to consider. Local Expansions:Local businesses, mainly from Manhattan, continue to buy land in Green Valley Business Park for relocation and expansion. While these are not large deals individually, collectively they have added several hundred-thousand dollars in private investment, add to our property tax base and employment in the county. In addition, the purchase of one existing business and additional land in Wamego Industrial Park will add new investment, increased property tax base, and ultimately new employment to the city and the county. Business
and Industrial Park News
Wamego Industrial Park: The corporation is negotiating a four-lot land sale in conjunction with the purchase of an existing business in Wamego Industrial Park, by a new owner. When the deal is closed, the existing business will become part of a regional family of related businesses, all under single ownership. More than a dozen local jobs will be retained and new jobs likely added in the future. Green Valley Business Park: The corporation is in the process of correcting a long-standing deficiency on the south side of the park, where a public storm water drainage ditch was left open rather than having pipe installed to the southeast corner of the park and being backfilled. The problem is this open ditch lies within the utility easement, making it impossible for the installation of electric lines to accommodate a new business in Lot 15. The corporation is working with Westar, the county and BG consultants to resolve this problem. The corporation helped advertise a Sept. 27 Purple Wave Auction of three existing properties in Green Valley Business Park in hopes that local businesses would buy and occupy them. These three properties have been absentee-owned for the past several years, and have been underutilized. It appears three different local businesses are going to able to take possession of these properties in the near future once remaining financial details are worked out. Congratulations Purple Wave, and to the three local businesses for doing our county and area a great service! The corporation is ready to have bids prepared for the build-out of infrastructure across the entire remaining north side of the park, including an access street from the east side of the park to Excel Road, pending resolution of financing strategies. Completion of the build-out will add 14 additional finished lots to offer for sale, ranging in size from 1.4 to 2.8 acres each, with the capability of combining lots into larger parcels if necessary. For projects greater than one acre, Green Valley Business Park is now subject to the KDHE storm water runoff control regulations. This means when we do build out the north side of the park, it will be necessary to submit the required mitigation and control plan to the state water office. In addition, future sales contracts will have to require buyers to implement appropriate storm water runoff control measures during construction of their properties. Sandy Hook Industrial Park: Sales continue in the privately-owned north section of the park. The corporation is in the fourth year of its purchase of the undeveloped 30 acres on the south side of the park in St Marys. Once it is paid for, or when a unique opportunity presents itself, we will begin to develop the infrastructure necessary to finish the 30-acre south side of the park, and to offer lots for sale. Highway 24/Blue Township: Business and especially residential growth continues along East Highway 24 and in Blue Township at a rapid rate. The county continues to develop solutions to the water supply and waste disposal capacity issues faced in this area of the county. St. George: The city of St. George, the St. George Historic Society and the Corporation recently hosted a community work session in St. George in a first step toward defining a vision of a preferred future of the community over the next five years. More than 40 enthusiastic local residents participated in this session, held at the community center at the Methodist Church. Many insightful and ambitious recommendations were made by people at this event in the areas of housing, transportation, communications, schools, community assets, business and industry and others. Once the draft recommendations have been reviewed and approved by local participants, they will be publicly available. The city government, the people of St. George and the Rock Creek School District have already completed many recent enhancement projects, including:
We continue to refer new business clients to Chad Jackson, our contracted partner with the Washburn University Small Business Development Center. Most recently Chad is beginning to work with a number of retail businesses in Westmoreland to develop and implement a marketing plan aimed at offering enhanced local shopping opportunities to county employees, people coming to Westmoreland to do business with the county, and visitors. In addition, Chad and others from the Washburn SBDC will be presenting training sessions in Onaga and Westmoreland during Oct. and Nov. Chad's business consulting services are confidential and no fee is charged. If you'd like to avail yourself of Chad's considerable expertise in business planning, market research and financial analysis, please contact him at (785) 567-9917, or call our office at (785) 456-9776.
Equine Center: The corporation is a serious financial and planning participant in the development of a detailed feasibility study for the proposed regional equine show and competition arena to be located on 230 acres of land owned by KSU in the northeast corner of Manhattan. The Corporation, Junction City, the City of Manhattan, Riley County, the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce/CVB, KSU, the KSU Foundation , Meadowlark Hills and the Kansas Horse Council are the financial partners who collectively raised $70,000 to finance the feasibility study. All of those organizations, local equine related businesses and public officials, are respondents to the feasibility study. The study is being conducted by Norm Landerman-Moore, a distinguished economist and planner from Washington, who has decades of successful experience in feasibility analysis and business planning in the entertainment and recreation industries, including equine facilities and programs. The results
of the feasibility study will be presented to the tri-county leadership
in Jan. Our primary interest is in what sorts of economic multipliers
the equine center would produce to the benefit of existing equine
related businesses and the visitor industry throughout Pottawatomie
County. We also believe the existence of such a center could drive
up interest in related equine events and business opportunities
throughout the region. |
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Marketing
to Newcomers, Visitors and Tourists |
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Two of the most difficult things to do in tourism are "new product development" and "creation of new markets". These are basic planning and development activities that take time to bear fruit. Nevertheless, as we have seen from such examples as the Country Stampede, Symphony in the Flint Hills, OztoberFest, the Oz Museum, our own bike rallies and others, new products and new markets can be developed and once they begin to mature, bring increasing numbers of visitors and tourists to spend money in our communities. Following are some "new product development" and "creation of new markets" projects which we believe will increase visitation, and retail sales, in our county and communities. Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area (Previously the "Bleeding Kansas" NHA): The U.S. Senate recently passed the final version of legislation creating the "Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area." Freedom's Frontier is a partnership of heritage and tourism representatives in 29 counties in eastern Kansas and 12 counties in western Missouri organized to commemorate the unique national historical importance of our region in the conflict-ridden era before, during and immediately after the Civil War. For more information on the Freedom's Frontier Heritage Area visit: http://www.bleedingkansas.org/ For more detailed information on National Heritage Areas in general, visit: http://www.cr.nps.gov/heritageareas/VST/INDEX.HTM Over time, the establishment of this new heritage area will offer opportunities for financing product development and marketing of our unique heritage sites to national and international markets. We look forward to continuing to work with this coalition to develop the final management plan for the development and marketing of the Area. A subcommittee of the Freedom's Frontier coalition, has developed a PowerPoint presentation to be shown in communities throughout the region. Look for future announcements and invitations to view this detailed presentation. Flint Hills Tourism Coalition: The Flint Hills Tourism Coalition (FHTC) is a partnership of all 22 counties in Kansas in which the Flint Hills are present. The ambition of the coalition is to make the Flint Hills of Kansas as well-known to the traveling public as the Black Hills or other unique geographic areas in the US, and to use our Flint Hills as the primary marketing draw for local heritage, cultural, recreational and nature-based attractions throughout our region. See the following for more information about the coalition and its product and market development efforts: http://www.fermatainc.com/kansas/index.html Initial Statewide Marketing Effort: Our first statewide marketing effort is being conducted in partnership with the Kansas Lottery. The Lottery is marketing chances to win any of five "Flint Hills Treasures Tour" prizes throughout the state at local ticket vendor sites. These five prizes are thematic tours throughout the Flint Hills and will be advertised through electronic media as well, for six months. Tickets have just become available for purchasing. Each of the five "Flint Hills Treasures Tour Prizes" is a three-day/two-night trip for two, valued at $5,000. The themes of the five tour prizes are: golf, heritage, culture, horseback riding, and hunting/fishing. Local attractions in Pottawatomie County are participants in three of these regional tour prizes, including Cool Springs Golf Course, Victory Inn B and B, Oz Museum, Columbian Theatre and Wanda's Country Cookin'. More such regional tours will be organized and marketed in the future. Look for the prize tickets at any vendor location that markets prizes for the Kansas Lottery. And watch for advertising through the electronic media as well. For more information about this first promotion see: http://www.kslottery.com/Promotions/FlintHillsTreasures.htm Website Development: The new web site for the FHTC is undergoing final "beta testing" but will soon be released for the public. It has work that needs to be done and we are also waiting to see if we will be able to transfer the information we already have on the travelks.com site over to the FHTC site, to save time for those who will be entering the information. Site Evaluations: There are now 450 sites nominated for evaluation and inclusion in the website, among from which, about 100 will be selected for further site evaluations and inclusion in the next major marketing effort. No final decisions have been made on which to include. Financing: Residents, companies, attractions and local governments are being asked to invest a total of $5,000 from each county to implement a permanent management structure for this effort, including a director, operational funds and money for product development and marketing. Some counties have already committed their $5,000, while others are still working on funding strategies. If you would like to help finance our participation in this effort, please send your tax-deductible donation check written to "Kansas Rural Communities Foundation" with a note that it is for "Pottawatomie County - Flint Hills Tourism Coalition". Send your check to PO Box 288, Wamego, Kansas 66547, or call us at (785) 456-9776 for more information. Wamego River Landing: The Corps of Engineers has granted a permit to the City of Wamego for the river landing. The city is having an engineering firm prepare a detailed site plan and the additional permit applications that are required. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has reaffirmed it has set aside $20,000 to help with this project. Hopefully, the site plan and permits will be done soon and we can complete this project this fall. WAM-SAG-MAN Recreational Trail/Yellow Brick Road Ride: After repeated presentation of well-organized bike rallies in our scenic Flint Hills, Pottawatomie County is becoming noted as a great place to ride by bicyclists from across the country! Pre-registrations for the second annual Yellow Brick Road Ride Oct. 21 have been received from riders from California, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Texas and all around Kansas. The ride is held in conjunction with Oztoberfest. Registration and breakfast begins at the Wamego High School at 7:30 a.m. October 21. The rides will also end at Wamego High School in downtown Wamego. Riders will be offered a hot breakfast catered by Wanda's Country Cookin'. There also will be a drawing for eight $15 gift certificates from "RoadID" which will be handed out after riders return from their routes. Riders will be able to shower and change at the High School after the ride, so they can stay and enjoy Oztoberfest afterwards There are three routes bicyclists can choose from: 15 miles, 28 miles and 50.5 miles. The 50.5 mile route will pass through downtown Westmoreland. This ride has been heavily marketed by Diane Novak, Pottawatomie County Outdoor Recreation chair person, and Erin Jeschke, development associate with Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation. In addition to announcements on our Web site, Cathy Dawes at 1350 KMAN and Jiao Jiao Shen of KSNT-TV Channel 27, each made air time available to market the ride. Flyers also were distributed throughout our tri-county region, and through our Flint Hills Tourism Coalition. In addition, bicycle clubs and publications throughout the US helped advertised the ride. The pre-registration deadline to be guaranteed a T-shirt and take advantage of the cheaper registration fee has passed, but those wishing to participate can still register beforehand, or on the morning of the ride. Registration forms can also be downloaded from our Web site at www.ecodevo.com Net proceeds from the ride go towards the WAM-SAG-MAN Recreational Trail Fund. The trail will connect Wamego, Saint George and Manhattan and will make recreation safer for all those in the area, bicyclists, drivers and runners alike. A fund-raiser for the trail has also been developed and will be mailed out soon. The mailing will contain a brochure detailing the history and current status of planning for the trail, a questionnaire about outdoor recreation demand and preferences and a letter soliciting donations to the Trail Fund. The mailing will go to areas in Manhattan, Wamego, Saint George and some surrounding areas. To make your tax-deductible donation to the fund, please make checks payable to the Wamego Community Foundation with a note "Old Military Road Trail Fund" at P.O. Box 25, Wamego, KS 66547. For questions, please call our office at (785) 456-9776.
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Development |
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Kansas
Rural Communities Foundation
"Keeping some of our wealth at home." As earlier reported, it has been estimated that more than $500 million of personal wealth will transfer between generations in Pottawatomie County alone over 10 years. If 5 percent of our transferring wealth was kept at home through the establishment of tax-deductible local funds and all were endowed funds, the resultant $27 million in local endowments would generate almost $1.5 million annually, at 5 percent disbursement, for local community improvement projects, forever. The first local Community Improvement Funds have been created within the Kansas Rural Communities Foundation: The Leisure Land Playground Fund in Onaga and the Blue Valley Foundation Fund in Olsburg. Additional local funds are being created in St. George and in Westmoreland. Still more funds are being considered in St. Marys. Meanwhile, the Wamego Community Foundation is preparing to become an affiliate of the new foundation so it can combine administrative funds in order to provide operational support, marketing , donor development, accounting, etc. for all participating affiliates and local funds. For more detailed information about this new foundation, and the opportunities it presents for your community, please call our office at (785) 456-9776. Regional
Child Care Summit
A Regional Child Car Summit was held Sept. 22 at the Geary County Convention Center in Junction City. Communities from Topeka to Abilene attended the summit to address the issues and challenges currently facing child care. With the influx of people coming to the Ft. Riley area over the next several years, child care is an area where there is already a shortfall and will be in grave situation if not taken care of now. Child Care will be one of the most difficult problems faced by our communities as a result of the new growth at Fort Riley. The supply of child care will have a direct effect on workforce availability, since spouses in families with no child care will be forced to stay out of the workforce. At the summit, Col. Thomas T. Smith, Garrison, commander, noted the population at Ft. Riley should grow from about 46,000 to about 70,000 over the next seven years. Lots of incoming parents will be looking for child care options for their children. Currently, they are 500 spaces short on child care, with 540 being the capacity. There will be two new child day care centers open by 2008, but there will still be a shortfall of 300 spaces after those additions are made. Lt. Governor John Moore stressed that accessibility, affordability and quality are the three things child care should be focused on. The Kansas Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies presented a 2006 child care profile for Pottawatomie County, which reported there are 878 regulated facilities in the county with a total capacity of 890 spaces. On average, the cost of one infant and one preschooler in family child care in the county represents 16.3 percent of the median family income. Members who attended the summit had a chance to attend one of four breakout sessions with organizations that already provide model child care facilities and programs, including Memorial Health Systems in Abilene, the Family Resource Center in Pittsburg, Loving Arms in Junction City, and Raising Riley - Making Child Care Successful in Riley County. Erin attended the Raising Riley session. A later panel discussion by SRS, KDHE, USDA and others discussed various potential financing mechanisms for child care expansions. Block grants, tax credits for employers who establish day care or child care subsidiary programs were just a few items discussed. From these presentations, goals and strategies were developed including possible business alliances, tax credit funding and awareness campaigns as some resources that might help in developing additional child care in the region. Some of the advantages our area has in regards to child care, is an educated population, media outlets, a central location, high demand, lots of employees and opportunities for funding. Some of the disadvantages of child care as a business prospect were low compensation, restricted and high-cost land availability and a transient population. For more information about child care availability and opportunities for expansion and financing contact KACCRRA, toll free, at (877) 678-2548, or e-mail them at kaccrra@kaccrra.org Strategic Action Plan and Growth Impact Assessment: This report by RKG Associates, details the projected impacts of Fort Riley growth in the following areas throughout our region: economic impacts, housing, retail, schools, post secondary education, child care, recreation, youth services and community activities, health care and fiscal impacts. Details of the findings and recommendations of this report are to be presented publicly at the Riley Conference Center on Fort Riley from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 18. If you are interested in attending, please contact our office at (785) 456-9776. Regional Growth Management Plan Development: One of the recommendations stemming from the study by RKG Associates is the development of a Regional Growth Management Plan and a Regional Planning Organization to guide the impacts of the dramatic growth now underway at Fort Riley. The Office of Economic Administration, Department of Defense, has made funds available for the development of a regional plan and the interim organization of a regional planning organization. Final decisions on the vendors to prepare the planning documents and to help local governing bodies create the proposed planning organization, are currently being made by the policy committee consisting of elected and appointed representatives from Geary, Riley and Pottawatomie Counties and the cities of Junction City, Manhattan and Wamego. More news on this effort in the next issue.
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