PITTSBURG, Kan. — A busy morning awaited members of the Economic Development Council on Wednesday. First on the to-do list was a proposal to renovate 409 N. Grand into a small office building.

Wes Keller of Bar-K Companies approached the EDAC for backing through the revolving loan fund to remodel and repurpose the building into a 2,100-square-foot office space for 3-15 employees.

According to Keller, the building has not seen significant improvements or maintenance for nearly 25 years. It is a masonry structure with a metal facade that he intends to replace along with doors, windows, plumbing, electrical, drywall, flooring, gutters, and HVAC systems.

The goal, Keller said, is to make the repairs necessary to have a sustainable property with minimal monthly maintenance that is aesthetically pleasing to the community and future tenants.

Keller estimates the cost of the remodel at $327,850 and is asking the EDAC for the standard 10% of $32,785.

When asked, Keller said he already has tenants signed for three years. The tenants work for the railroad division of a Wisconsin-based company that is moving some of their operations out of Kentucky and into Kansas. Keller said he expects there to be two or three employees at first and a few more once they are settled.

Because of the active lease, Keller hopes to have the remodel complete in the next three months.

The EDAC voted to approve the request and forward it to the city commission.

Kim Froman, Pittsburg’s Director of Community Development and Housing, provided an update on the Ramsay Building at 619 N. Broadway. Currently, the building is owned by the city land bank after being donated to the city by the former owner. The city contracted to have the building emptied as massive water damage began to rot away at the flooring and threatened to collapse the structure into itself. One contractor said his crew went in and “heard the building talking to them” and decided that this was not the job for them.

With the building stabilized, attention turned to fixing the holes in the roof only to discover that the trusses also need to be replaced due to water damage. This will add $169,720 to roof repairs.

The city administration decided to bring this to the EDAC instead of using the general fund. The EDAC already has a stake in the businesses to either side of the Ramsay and it would benefit them to protect that investment by making sure the Ramsay is as complete as possible.

The EDAC approved a loan of $169,720 to repair the roof with the stipulation that Pittsburg has first position, meaning any proceeds from the sale of the building go back to the city to repay the loans the city has made.

Finally, the EDAC renewed the contract with Pittsburg State to provide the quarterly economic report prepared by Dr. Michael Daviddson. This year, there was an increase in this year’s funding from $32,500 to $35,000 to cover rising production costs.

This is the first request for an increase since 2023.

The board wholly supported the request as the report has become extremely valuable as a recruiting tool to attract new businesses and when applying for grants.

As of the end of May 2026, the revolving loan fund managed by the EDAC has a cash balance of $4,525,361 with outstanding commitments totaling $2,032,030, leaving a $2,493,330 balance still available for investment.

This reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/Localnews