Allen County commissioners tentatively agreed to be the conduit for a $400,000 grant application to accommodate construction of an eight-apartment complex on the old hospital grounds.
Twelve apartments will open soon and the next group of eight —fulfilling a promise to 20 when Iola Industries purchased property — will be directly east.
David Toland, speaking on behalf of Iola Industries, said the grant application, which Thrive Allen County will write, “should be competitive” with the Kansas Housing Resources Commission. “Iola Industries owns the ground, the plans are ready and Iola has issued a building permit — making the project shovel ready.”
Total cost will be about $1 million, with the remaining $600,000 coming through commercial financing.
Rent for the first set of apartments is market-based. The next eight will have moderate income guidelines, to facilitate application for the grant. The guidelines portend no rent subsidies.
“About 90 percent of the people in Allen County would qualify to live in them,” Toland said. He also pointed out the guidelines “are just that. They’re flexible. If two pharmacists wanted to come to Iola, we could write the state (KHRC) and have the guidelines waived.”
The guidelines are liberal for southeast Kansas. The range for a family of two is minimum income of $32,025, maximum of $80,063.
Larry Walden, often an attendee of commission meetings, asked if Iola Industries was getting in the rental business as a competitor for private concerns.
“We are building the apartments because local industries tell us we need housing,” Toland responded, in particular Gates Corporation and Russell Stover Candies. “If Gates gets to 800 employees, it has people coming from 17 counties,” because of the dearth of suitable housing.
Commissioner Tom Williams said he had no reservations about the county applying for the grant. “I don’t see any downside.”
Commissioner Jim Talkington agreed there was no appearance of a downside, but proposed County Counselor Alan Weber review the application ahead of commission approval.
Toland said it would be ready for a decision next Tuesday. Deadline for filing the application is Oct. 14.
COMMISSIONERS also learned the G&W Grocery store would be about another 1,000 square feet larger. Toland said plans started at 15,000 square feet, increased to 17,000 and “now they’re at nearly 18,000.”
A ceremonial groundbreaking will occur the week of Oct. 24.
Iola’s planning commission is due to review plans after a 21-day announcement period. The planners’ recommendation will go to the city council for its members’ review and decision — each step being mostly formalities with groundwork that has been laid.
Toland explained it had taken G&W longer to arrive in Iola than first planned because of companywide improvements, expansions and additions this year.
“They’ve opened stores in Fort Scott and Independence,” which has taken corporate energies. The Iola store will be G&W’s 31st.
The grocery is expected to open here in late spring.
ALANA KINZLE said she had made arrangements with several people to help with construction of a memory garden behind the Veterans Wall on the south courthouse lawn.
She said Ryan Sigg, local concrete contractor, had agreed to pour and finish that portion of the project at no cost, with the help of several National Guard members. Kinzle also is putting together a cadre of volunteers to plant and tend flowers.
A special touch will be plaques explaining wars that led Allen Countians — most named on the wall — to be involved in armed conflicts.
A water line soon will be extended to the garden area, to support a fountain.
Kinzle came to commissioners several months ago and since has refined plans for the garden and its construction.
