Housing development and economic boost expected in Crawford County

CRAWFORD COUNTY, Kan. (KOAM) - The City of Frontenac is working to grow physically and economically.

The Frontenac City Council approved the annexation of about 500 acres of land north of town, east of Highway 69. More than 400 acres of that land will be used for the construction of a housing development.

The development is projected to create 150 to 180 new homes.

The land will be developed in five phases, spanning more than 10 years.

The Mayor of Frontenac says the project has been in the works for at least the past three years, but couldn't have come at a better time.

"Frontenac has been kind of a hidden jewel for a while, ready to explode and grow. And I think this is the first step in helping it do that," says Mayor Steve Morrison.  "It's a sought after community, but the housing has been very, very, slow in coming. So I really think that it will bring, very good quality people to town."

Officials say the construction is expected to start around the end of this year. The development will be located next to the site of the future Freeman Hospital.

When officials announced the location of the hospital in Frontenac , they also announced that the site would create between 500-1,000 new jobs to the area.

This has community members excited about the future.

"It's going to be good for the whole community, for all the surrounding areas," says one business owner.

For places in Frontenac like the Farmhouse Cafe , the announcement of the new Freeman Hospital was welcome news.

"A big thing is happening in the small town, which is a very good idea. It's good for the community, for the customers, for everybody, too," says Ismail Balazi, owner of Farmhouse Cafe .  "And then also when we have got Pittsburg next door, which makes the town bigger."

For Crawford County officials, they hope the development of the hospital and the possibility of upwards of 1,000 new jobs will help boost the local economy.

"Everything that comes along with, you know, a hospital of that size, that capacity. So I bet we are going to increase water usage, sewer usage. I'm sure down the road there would be some tax benefits for the city of Frontenac as well," says Tom Moody, Crawford County Commissioner for District Two, which includes Frontenac. "I don't know what else to say other than we're so fortunate that it came in and we look forward to seeing what happens in the next few years."

For businesses along the U.S. 69 Highway, they say they look forward to the potential new visitors they'll see as a result of the hospital.

"It'll be good," says Balazi. "You know, there's more traffic towards Highway 69 going towards the hospital and the more traffic we have, the more people means probably more customers."

And while the future hospital site may look like just an empty field at the moment, officials say it's the community's opportunity to grow.

"It's not just any one certain facet. It's a multiple of things that, you know, businesses will benefit. The food business, the people coming to town, the gas stations," says Moody. "And everyone should feel fortunate that at this time this is coming."

Officials do not have an official date for the final completion of the hospital.

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