A new construction project will be taking place in Emporia after a public hearing took place at the Emporia City Commission’s action session Wednesday evening.
City commissioners approved a request from BG Consultants and Community National Bank for a public hearing pertaining to an appeal, made during the commission’s study session last week, to override a decision made by the Kansas State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) regarding the current bank building at 701 Merchant Street. The appeal is for BG and Community National Bank to tear down and rebuild the existing bank building.
Carla Barnett of Community National Bank explains the reasoning behind the rebuild.
SHPO had made the decision to preserve the current building as a historic site as it is located within the City of Emporia’s Downtown Historic District. BG and Community National Bank had explored several other options other than the rebuild, such as a remodel and relocation of the current bank site, however, neither of those options were feasible for the needs of the bank.
Community National Bank came to Emporia in 2015 and has been located a the 701 Merchant location for the past four years. City Commissioner Rob Gilligan believes the rebuild shows confidence from the bank in Emporia’s local economy.
The public hearing was necessary in order to approve the appeal. Once the hearing concluded commissioners unanimously approved the appeal 5-0.
According to Barnett, the total project length may last around 12 months, and she expects the process to begin within the next 90 days. Community National Bank will have a temporary banking facility behind the current location to continue serving patrons during the rebuild.
In other business, commissioners also approved an agreement between the city and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad to move two utility pipes to assist an expansion project by Bunge Corporation. Bunge has been working the past 8 months on an expansion with an additional rail line to serve their facility in east Emporia.
The two pipes in question were in the way of the rail line and had to be moved, which according to Gilligan, Bunge has offered to pay for. Gilligan says the agreements with BNSF during Wednesday’s meeting was the step they have been waiting for.
Commissioners expect all of the necessary paperwork to be completed within the next few weeks.
Also during the meeting the commission approved changes to city code to allow ceral malt beverage licensed retailers to sell enhanced cereal malt beverages effect April 1st. The update to city code is in response to a change in state statutes from two years ago increasing the level of CMB to 6 %.
Retailers may begin stocking enhanced cmb’s on March 1st but may not begin selling them until April 1st.
Commissioners also tabled the awarding of a bid for the downtown sanitary sewer system improvement project and discussion of an SRF loan update to their study session next week.
The Emporia City Commission will next meet Wednesday Feb. 27 at 10 am inside City Conference Room 1AB at White Auditorium.
