Olmitz
Real Estate
Great Bend council pauses rezoning Baker Ave. property
Jack Manases, with Manases Enterprises, went before the Great Bend Planning Commission and Great Bend City Council requesting to rezone real estate at 1620 Baker Avenue. Manases purchased the R-2 (two-family) property and wants to rezone the lot to C-2 (general commercial) to park his trailers and equipment for his renovation and landscaping business.
Great Bend downtown owners: Grants available for loft renovations
Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland announced today $400,000 is available under the Residential Opportunities on Main Street (ROOMS) grant program to support new upper-floor housing in commercial buildings in Designated Kansas Main Street communities. “Main Street communities across the state long have been revitalizing their historic business...
Taking steps toward downtown Great Bend apartment project
More steps were taken Monday night at the Great Bend City Council meeting to keep progress rolling for 24 downtown apartments. The upper floors of the Zarah Mall, at the intersection of Main Street and Lakin Avenue, are getting renovated after sitting vacant for decades. The council adopted an ordinance...
USD 428 announces intent to sell three properties in Great Bend
The Kansas Legislature accomplished several things when it passed Senate Bill 113 last May, including improving school safety, supporting the teacher workforce, and investing in early childhood education. Another component of that bill gave the state legislature first right of refusal on the purchase of property to be sold by school districts. Monday night, USD 428 Superintendent Khris Thexton began the new process to sell three properties owned by the Great Bend school district.
Richter shares Aster Estates experience during special month
When Ellen Richter moved into Aster Estates in the summer of 2022, her family was comforted by the “home-like environment where we trusted that Mom would receive expert care,” said Linda Richter, Ellen’s daughter. But even though Pam Lewis, Aster Estates owner, knew her staff could provide...
USD 428 will soon have downtown Great Bend properties for sale
Earlier this month, the public was invited to open house of the $4.8 million renovation for the Great Bend school district’s support services building. The facility on east 10th Street is the home for the district’s Central Kitchen and Maintenance, Grounds and Transportation departments. The kitchen staff was...
Letter to Editor: Disorganizing USD 112 will mean severe economic blow
My name is J.D. Johnson. I am a local real estate agent with SalinaHomes.com and current president of the Great Plains Association of Realtors MLS. The Great Plains Association of Realtors (GPAR) proudly serves the communities of Salina, Great Bend, Russell, and all areas in between. I have been a Realtor for 10 years and have helped clients buy/sell real estate all over the state of Kansas.
City of Great Bend to gain additional $16 million from valuations
For the second straight year, property valuations have increased in Barton County. The City of Great Bend collected approximately $9.3 million more in valuations from fiscal year 2022 to 2023. Early figures show Great Bend to collect an additional $16,167,868 in valuations in the proposed 2024 budget. With increased revenue in property valuations, the Great Bend City Council was in favor of dropping their mill levy from 51.692 in 2023 to 45.202 in 2024.
New housing rehab program for Barton Co. homeowners
Great Bend Economic Development (GBED) is excited to announce the launch of its BC ReNew - Housing Rehab Program in Great Bend, Ellinwood, Hoisington, and Claflin. This program aims to provide homeowners in these areas with an opportunity to upgrade their older homes while receiving a rebate grant of up to 10% for material purchases.
Downtown Great Bend apartment project receives $265K loft grant
Local businessman Mark Bitter said he’s looking forward to the day of driving down Main Street in Great Bend and seeing the lights on for the upper floors of the old Zarah Hotel. Bitter, Sheryl Cheely and Mark Mingenback, representing MyTown LP, accepted a $265,650 check from Great Bend...
Making use of gov’t programs for downtown Great Bend apartments
Taking on the task of renovating the upper floors of the Zarah Mall in downtown Great Bend is an extraordinary project, and thus needing extraordinary partnerships to get the job done. That is how Pomeroy Development’s Justin Pregont described the nearly $6 million project to turn the long-time vacant upper floors into 24 apartments.
$6 million Great Bend apartment project aims for 2024 completion
Many people that grew up in Great Bend years ago have their stories or memories of the Zarah Hotel building at the corner of Lakin Avenue and Main Street. Built in 1925, the ground floor of the building has consistently been used by a number of retail businesses but the second, third and fourth floors have been unoccupied for decades. A group of individuals are striving to turn around the long-time vacant upper floors into 24 apartments.
Great Bend downtown apartment project receives $1.4 million in funds
From Pomeroy Development... We're pleased to be part of the Zarah Apartments project team in downtown Great Bend that has been awarded $1.425 million in Moderate Income Housing funds from the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation. The Zarah Apartments project is an adaptive reuse and historic preservation project that will create...
Barton Co. Appraiser explains valuation appeal process
The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing stoppage of life as we know it hurt many aspects of the economy. The real estate market was not one of them. Barton County Appraiser Wendy Prosser said that boom in the housing market ultimately led to higher property tax valuations this year. "In...
Great Bend vacates more street in Twin Lakes to property owners
In the summer of 2020, Chris and Deena Smith went before the Great Bend City Council requesting the city vacate a 20-foot strip of White Sands Drive so they could build a privacy fence. White Sands, a 100'-wide street in the Twin Lakes subdivision, was platted to allow access to...
Barton Co. Appraiser explains increase in this year's valuations
Increased property valuations do not necessarily mean a rise in taxes. That's what Barton County Appraiser Wendy Prosser and the commission emphasized at Wednesday's Barton County Commission meeting. The good news is, for the first time in a couple of years, appraisals were put in the mail by the March 1 deadline. The bad news is appraisals were up significantly all around Barton County. Prosser explained to the commission.
Plan for 24 apartments in Great Bend eyes moderate incomes
Great Bend Economic Development is hopeful a $1.425 million grant will be awarded to the ownership of Zarah Mall to construct up to 24 apartments in the upper floors of the downtown building. The Great Bend City Council approved a resolution to support the submission of the Moderate Income Housing (MIH) grant application that would develop residential units for the property at 1917 Lakin Avenue.
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