Spring 2023 Historic Economic Asset Lifeline (HEAL) Grant Recipients Announced

TOPEKA – Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland today announced the recipients of the spring 2023 Historic Economic Asset Lifeline (HEAL) grants. A total of 17 projects from across the state are receiving nearly $918,000 in matching grant funds.

The Patterson Family Foundation and Department of Commerce paired up to provide grant funding to assist rural communities in revitalizing underutilized and dilapidated downtown buildings and turn them into economic drivers in the community. A total of 30 applications were received during the spring HEAL grant round.

“Downtowns throughout rural Kansas act as the front doors to their communities,” Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said. “Through our valued relationship with the Patterson Family Foundation, we are helping to make these districts more economically viable and productive.”

HEAL projects will fund a variety of economic drivers. A sampling of this round’s projects include: a restaurant, a brewery, a façade improvement for an existing health and wellness business, a coffee shop and bakery, upper story short-term rentals and apartments, a childcare center and a group childcare facility, a boutique hotel and lounge, a sewing shop, a market, and a community event center.

“Through multiple rounds of the HEAL program, it has been rewarding to see how different rural communities work collaboratively to display their own unique sense of place and pride,” Patterson Family Foundation President Lindsey Patterson Smith said. “We have enjoyed working with the Department of Commerce and its partners on a program that is creating meaningful opportunities through revitalization. It will be exciting to see these projects get implemented.”

The spring 2023 HEAL grant awardees include:

• Belleville Chamber/Main Street, Republic County – $75,000
• City of Halstead, Harvey County – $64,300
• City of Hillsboro, Marion County – $74,999
• City of Osawatomie, Miami County – $75,000
• City of Spearville, Ford County – $70,000
• City of Sterling, Rice County – $75,000
• City of Wathena, Doniphan County – $54,520
• Edwards County Economic Development (Kinsley), Edwards County – $45,599
• Edwards County Economic Development (Lewis), Edwards County – $33,008
• Grow Hays, Inc., Ellis County – $75,000
• Grow Clay County (GCC), Clay County – $25,000
• Logan County Community Foundation, Logan County – $25,000
• Miltonvale Economic Revitalization Improvement Team (MERIT), Inc., Cloud County – $9,600
• Ness County Chamber of Commerce, Ness County – $48,250
• Point Forward, Inc., Crawford County – $75,000
• Rush County Economic Development, Rush County – $17,462
• South Central KS Economic Development District, Reno County – $75,000