Kansas HEAL grant program turning abandoned buildings into thriving businesses

TOPEKA (KSNT) — A new round of funding totaling $1.5 million is going towards a grant program which aims to revitalize downtown buildings in small Kansas towns.

The Historic Economic Asset Lifeline (HEAL) program started back in 2021 and is offered by the Kansas Department of Commerce. The grants help fund renovation projects for old downtown buildings in rural Kansas, turning them into businesses such as restaurants, hotels, museums and more.

Now, the program is receiving a sixth round of funding and is currently accepting new applications.

“We’ve helped save 108 buildings now across the state of Kansas in towns as small as 15 people,” said Trisha Purdon with the KDC. “It helps revitalize these towns and gives the community hope that they can be the next growing community.”

We spoke with Matt Hoover, who received a HEAL grant back in 2022. He runs a brewery in Junction City called the Highwind Brewery. You wouldn’t know it, but the building he operates out of had sat completely abandoned for about 25 years.

“The previous owners didn’t care for the building, so we had lots of mold, mildew, the roof was open,” Hoover said.

After receiving a $100,000 HEAL grant, Hoover was able to open his business in 2024. What was once an eyesore in the middle of town is now a lively business.

There are hundreds of similar projects throughout the state in towns such as Bonner Springs, Winfield and Colby. The HEAL grant program has received a total of about $7 million dollars for these projects so far, and it’s estimated the grants have generated more than $37 million in private investment for Kansas communities.

“We want to welcome the ugliest buildings in Kansas to apply for this program,” Purdon said. “We welcome the dreamers, the ones who have a vision for this gorgeous building but don’t know where to start. We just really want to see those buildings be restored. The uglier, the better.”

To keep the program going, the Kansas Legislature puts $1.5 million dollars in state funding towards the HEAL grant program every year. You can learn more about the HEAL program by clicking here.

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