As a former citizen of AC who's still interested it her growth and prosperity, it would be nice to be able visit a website that provided a functional webcam with multiple views of the city. Additionally, what about a photo section of key locations and ongoing projects around the city? Aside from the benefit to those that might be just generally interested or curious as I am, what about small and mid-size businesses that might be looking for a place to re-locate?
They are spending money on stuff that they don't need to, such as the recent team that they paid $30,000 for them to tell them what they already know.
Second all the downtown businesses are closing up shop. If you have a stupid amount of money you can buy their buildings, way too over priced. I tried to shop downtown a few times but every store I went to was closed at like 6 or 7 and a few were opened later. Heres some advice, stay open later.
Third Ark City is trying really hard to be bigger than they are. It seems that they have high expectations with nothing to offer. Such as the current TIF issue. Keep your hopes up to get that big box store, but don't hold your breath. You'll die.
Ark City was built on hard working industries which have since closed. Back then downtown was thriving and so was the city in a whole. They need to refocus on industry and not on a big box store. Make it appealing for an industry to set up here, you do that and the rest will come.
Honestly Ark City is dying, and you're not missing much other than a city gasping for breath right before it goes underwater.
Here are two Kansas towns that figured it out. Just maybe someone in AC can get creative using a few of these ideas to get some stable industrial operations located in Ark City. Its such a stinkin shame that someone like me doesnt see Ark City as a sound place to re-locate to.
How has this self-proclaimed "small community" lured so many big companies to rural Kansas? In large part, with incredibly low electric rates. At 4.0 cents per kilowatt hour, McPhersons commercial rate is the lowest in Kansas and more than 2.12 cents lower than the Midwest regional average. In fact, McPhersons rate ranks among the lowest of any community in the country, making the city a legitimate option for any manufacturer looking to relocate or expand.
"You always hear about the low industrial electric rates in southern states," said Bill Graper, a business recruitment specialist with the Kansas Department of Commerce. "But McPherson's rates are competitive with any city anywhere in the country. For site location consultants involved in manufacturing, McPherson has to be on their radar."
McPherson's favorable electric rates can be attributed to the municipally owned McPherson Board of Public Utilities, the city's power supplier. Not only has the BPU developed its own generating capacity, but it has also negotiated favorable long-term purchased-power agreements with neighboring communities. These low rates are stable, too the current rate schedule was adopted 25 years ago and a recently renewed interconnect agreement with Westar extends through 2039.
Low and stable electric rates were a huge factor for CertainTeed Corporation, which last year opted to expand its McPherson extrusion plant rather than grow its Texas facility. The decision meant the retention of 45 jobs in McPherson and the addition of dozens more. New York-based Ultrafab also cited low electric costs in its 2006 decision to open a new facility in McPherson and add 20 new jobs.
"Industries love low electric rates," said Marvin Pete Peters, Executive Director of McPherson Industrial Development Co. "But they love stability even more. When you look at McPhersons record of providing consistently low electric rates through long-term interconnect agreements, its no wonder so many businesses see McPherson as a great option."
Emporia offers a 10-year, 100 percent tax abatement on real property and buildings for a qualifying business, sales tax incentive fund, a performance-based cash grant, real estate at a reduced price with infrastructure improvements and other creative incentives based on the needs of the qualifying business. Additionally, the city has performance-based incentives for commercial and retail development, including Tax Increment Financing (TIF), Transportation Development District (TDD), Community Improvement District (CID) and the Neighborhood Revitalization Policy.
