US Senator Roger Marshall made a brief stop in Cottonwood Falls Friday to tour the Cottonwood Lofts apartment complex.
Marshall, who says he is currently on a “housing” tour across the state, received a brief 30-minute tour of the building, which opened to the public nearly a year ago, led by Frontier Development Group Managing Partner Tyler Holloman. Marshall, in an interview with KVOE News, stated developments like the Cottonwood Lofts are an important endeavor that provides choices to residents at a time when housing continues to be a major issue in nearly every community.
The Cottonwood Lofts, a 10-unit apartment complex, opened last March after more than 10 years of work by the Chase County Old School Development District to repurpose the former Chase County school building that closed back in 2010. Frontier Development led the renovation, with Holloman stating it would not have been possible without the assistance of several federal and state housing development programs.
With that in mind, KVOE News asked Marshall what work is being done at the federal level to continue providing programs and assistance, such as those that benefited the lofts project. Marshall’s visit on Friday came just 24 hours after federal lawmakers passed their housing bill, which he says focuses largely on “rolling back regulations, making the process more efficient.”
In addition to the classrooms, which were all converted into a combination of single and multi-bedroom apartment units, the project also converted the building’s auditorium and gymnasium space into a community center. As of now, all units are occupied with a waiting list of potential residents.
