Two area cities are set to receive state grant funding to turn downtown buildings into local business incubators.
Funding for those projects comes through the Downtown Revive & Thrive grant program administered by the Office of Rural Prosperity of the Kansas Department of Commerce. Director of the Office of Rural Prosperity Trisha Purdon says the purpose of the program is the boost economic activity by using existing spaces.
The City of Potwin in Butler County will receive just over $28,000 to turn Station 85 into a rural entrepreneurship hub combining a retail incubator, small-scale restaurant and food production space. The revitalized historic station will host multiple vendors, expand food access, and create new economic opportunities. In Woodson County, the City of Yates Center has been awarded $95,000 to renovate Waymire Marketplace into an artisan-focused incubator featuring shared retail, pop-up space and small studios for makers and small-batch producers. The space will support product launches, business growth and increased downtown activity. Purdon says these projects wouldn't be possible without the efforts of Kansas lawmakers.
In recent years, the state has seen increased demand for flexible spaces that allow entrepreneurs to test products, develop commercial concepts and pilot new ventures.
