The recent announcements of various property purchases and development projects drew heavy praise from Emporia City Manager Trey Cocking as part of the monthly Q&A With Trey segment on KVOE’s airwaves Monday morning.
Cocking spoke to the last week’s awarding of Hope VI grant funding to the city of Emporia to support a planned revitalization project at 502 Commercial Street as the latest example of how the local community has cultivated a local “circle of success” especially in the downtown corridor.
Cocking pointed to other examples of ventures that have helped carry that wave of momentum including the Gazette Collective project, Radius Brewing’s expansion into the former Spic-N-Span cleaners and Dynamic Discs founder Jeremy Rusco’s recent purchase of the now Champions Landing property. Speaking of the purchase, the city announced two weeks ago it would support Champion’s Landing through various steps including a 10-year $500,000 forgivable loan.
Cocking says this action drew questions as to the creation of a new city fund to support such ventures. He says no fund has been established and this was a “one-time emergency loan” the city felt it needed to provide.
Cocking also reiterated plans stated by Rusco to pursue Star Bonds through the state of Kansas to help with needed updates and renovations to the property in the future. Cocking estimates that in the past year alone there has been upwards of $10 million in planned reinvestment and revitalization projects either begun or announced.
