HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council on Tuesday will declare a portion of a downtown property blighted, but it's a good thing, because it is required for a grant process.
According to agenda documents, in 2019, Meredith and Nick Wolenhaupt purchased the historic Montgomery Ward building at 14 North Main. They seek to address significant issues with the building's upper floor, including leaking decorative windows and code violations in electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems. These problems have caused substantial damage to the original wood floor.
The Downtown Commercial Rehabilitation Program could help resolve these issues. The Wolenhaupts previously received a HEAL grant in 2023 from the Department of Commerce to address code and egress issues, enabling the use of the main floor and mezzanine spaces.
The South Central Kansas Economic Development District (SCKEDD) is preparing the CDBG Downtown Rehabilitation grant application and will manage the grant if awarded.
In order to get the grant, the council needs to approve a resolution declaring the upper floor of 14 North Main as blighted due to existing code violations. This declaration is necessary for SCKEDD to apply for the Downtown Rehabilitation Community Development Block Grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce. The grant will help bring the floors into code compliance for development and new use by Meredith and Nick Wolenhaupt.
The Hutchinson City Council meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday at City Hall at 125 East Ave. B.
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