Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced the Kansas Department of Commerce has awarded $750,000 in Downtown Revive & Thrive grants to support nine building renovation projects across Kansas including four in this area. When matched with more than $286,000 in local contributions, a total investment of over $1 million will be used to create spaces for business incubators.
“Rural Kansas has plenty of historic and underused buildings that have potential to create new economic opportunities for communities,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Through Revive & Thrive, we’re able to take established, unused infrastructure and give our rural entrepreneurs a place to flourish and bring their visions to life.”
Demand is rising throughout Kansas for flexible spaces that allow entrepreneurs to test products, develop commercial concepts and pilot new ventures. In response, Commerce launched the Revive and Thrive program to support those endeavors by transforming vacant and underutilized buildings into accessible, modern and sustainable workspaces.
Area Revive and Thrive awardees include:
-Lincoln Center, Lincoln County, $91,390: Lincoln’s Shared Kitchen will operate as a licensed, turnkey commercial kitchen that allows food entrepreneurs to test concepts, launch catering businesses, and develop products with reduced financial risk. The space will support startup and scaling opportunities in a flexible environment.
-Marion, Marion County, $85,853: The project will establish a co-working hub, meeting space and small business marketplace designed to support entrepreneurs and remote workers.
-Minneapolis, Ottawa County, $95,090: The project will bring a shared-use business incubator that includes a kitchen, retail and gathering space for entrepreneurs to test products and operate pop-ups. The collaborative environment will encourage innovation, increase foot traffic, and support ongoing downtown revitalization.
-Potwin, Butler County, $28,250: Station 85 will become 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.
The Downtown Revive & Thrive program is designed to support projects that repurpose existing infrastructure to create spaces and provide equipment for business incubators, pop-up retail and restaurants, and innovative concepts that drive growth and contribute to vibrancy in communities. The program is administered by the Office of Rural Prosperity of the Kansas Department of Commerce.
