Rural Economic Development

In almost every community in Kansas, there are homes that have been abandoned for a number of reasons, homes that no one has taken care of for years, eyesores for the community. These homes are often times behind on their property taxes. There are also parcels of land that may be in a great location but haven’t been developed. These are all prime targets for a land bank.

For those of us who don’t know exactly what a land bank is, it is when a public entity, such as a city or county, acquire and redevelop vacant, abandoned, or tax-foreclosed properties and revitalize them into livable housing that helps to stabilize neighborhoods and assist with promoting community development Julie currently works with at least five counties in southern Kansas assisting and guiding each community through the process of establishing a land bank.

The journey began in Stafford County, at that time, the only land banks in Kansas were located in the bigger urban areas. That didn’t stop her, neither did those who had doubts if something like this would work here in our rural areas. Julie used resources from the State and did a lot of learning on her own. Julie is hands on when it comes to her passion and has been out there doing the work, laying floors, painting, whatever it took to make the project successful. While working with her latest land bank, they are revitalizing almost an entire block in the community and bringing in new, modern, manufactured homes.

Childcare is another thing that has been less than ideal in rural Kansas. Don’t get me wrong, we have wonderful daycare providers, but many communities don’t have a day care center and/or providers who can cover the current need in their area. Using her resources and writing a lot of grants, Julie has been able to assist a number of communities in establishing a day care center.

Working with existing providers and getting regional grants that service various communities has been key. Having reliable and affordable day care is key in attracting families to rural Kansas and in keeping existing families here.

In her spare time, Julie owns a hotel in Kingman and is also the owner of The Hanger, an Event and Entrepreneurship Center on Main Street that has already exceeded her expectations. The Hanger has hosted everything from local proms to birthday parties and conferences that bring in a number of visitors to the Kingman community.

Her hopes are that the building will help others who may want to start a business, a maker’s space, honestly, your imagination is the limit!

Make sure to follow her journey with The Hanger at www.thekingmanhangar.com