ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Housing has long been a priority in Liberal and the rest of the Southwest Kansas area, and last week, a new project broke ground to help with just that.
Thursday afternoon, City of Liberal leadership and other partners broke ground on the Doll Housing Addition on the southeast part of town. The project includes the construction of 66 single-family homes along Larry Street and Hickory Streets. The project has been in development since 2013, with the City of Liberal investing $1.5 million, which includes funding for the neighborhood’s road development, allowing the developers to concentrate on the actual construction. The homes in the new addition are being built within walking distance of Prairie View Elementary School and Seymour Rogers Middle School. The timeline for the project is to finish road development in about 90 days, with construction expected to be completed within four to five years.
Liberal City Manager Scarlette Diseker and local developer Gerald Edwards said they are excited to see the project get started after having waited for so long.
“Gerald has been on this project almost every step of the way, meaning he’s worked with multiple city managers and commissioners and other leaders to get to this point,” Diseker said. “We’re also really thrilled to have the houses be so close to the two schools, that will be so beneficial to this part of town and the eventual residents. I’m absolutely thrilled about it, and I’ve only worked with the City of Liberal for about three years, so I can’t imagine how much more thrilled Gerald is since he’s been working on this for more than a decade. We know this is needed, we have that commitment to build all the houses, and this is going fulfill such a big need not just for Liberal but other parts of Southwest Kansas. It’s a very fiscally responsible way to help with the city’s growth, and we’re happy to be part of this.”
“This project got started because a long time ago, there were a couple people in Liberal I was talking to, and we were talking about how there wasn’t really anything like this in this part of town, so we started talking about maybe doing something about it,” Edwards said. “We’ve dealt with many changes in City of Liberal leadership since those early discussions, and we’ve been able to keep the dream alive, basically. This just started with an idea, and I’m thrilled it’s finally being worked on. And it’s great how the City is able to help with the infrastructure costs for the roads and drainage and that work so we can focus on the actual construction, and then the City will be able to capitalize on the property taxes created from the development.”
Diseker and Edwards said they are expecially excited to have the project close to two schools in town.
“I’m thrilled this project is happening near the schools, I know staff at both of those schools have waited for a long time to see this development going up and happening,” Diseker said. “When Liberal really starts growing, it’s going to be on this side of town, so this project is a huge part of helping move that forward. We’re excited to see these homes and the streets/infrastructure go in, which we hope will lead to increased enrollment and more families moving into town. These homes will also be affordable, and being able to provide that for the community is a big point of pride.”
“One reason I kept at this project is because I knew Liberal needed something like this, and I’m glad it’s finally happening,” Edwards said. “And like it’s been said before, it’s hard getting developers interested in coming to Liberal, and I’m glad I’ve stuck with this for as long as I have so I could see it come to fruition.”
Another benefit to the project will be affordability.
“Affordability is a big factor for me, and being able to provide that to the public is great,” Diseker said. “Everyone knows post-2020 costs of everything has gone up, and the average home price is higher, as are the interest rates on homes, so whatever we can do to help bring families here and provide quality housing, that’s a big bonus.”
“I agree with that, you’ve got to have affordable housing available if you want to bring people in, and you can’t grow Liberal with manufacturing or retail if there’s nowhere for them to live,” Edwards said. “Not all cities get involved with streets and drainage and other infrastructure – we’re rather unconventional in that respect – but we had to think outside the box in order to help jump start growth because it can be very hard to attract developers.”
Overall, Diseker said, she is excited to see the project’s completion.
“Come to Liberal, we’re open for business and we’ve got a lot of great things happening,” Diseker said. “This is a big piece of the puzzle we’ve been putting together for a while, and we’re really thrilled about this project.”
