Commerce Awards to Help Renovate Buildings into Business Incubators

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced the Kansas Department of Commerce has awarded $750,000 in Downtown Revive & Thrive grants to support nine building renovation projects across Kansas. When matched with more than $286,000 in local contributions, a total investment of over $1 million will be used to create spaces for business incubators.

“Rural Kansas has plenty of historic and underused buildings that have potential to create new economic opportunities for communities,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Through Revive & Thrive, we’re able to take established, unused infrastructure and give our rural entrepreneurs a place to flourish and bring their visions to life.”

Demand is rising throughout Kansas for flexible spaces that allow entrepreneurs to test products, develop commercial concepts and pilot new ventures. In response, Commerce launched the Revive and Thrive program to support those endeavors by transforming vacant and underutilized buildings into accessible, modern and sustainable workspaces.

Revive and Thrive awardees:

• Cimarron, Gray County, $95,090: Launch Level will be a flexible entrepreneurial hub that offers rural entrepreneurs’ affordable access to branding, packaging, content creation and market testing. The space will feature incubation bays, a print and packaging lab, content studio and collaborative areas that drive foot traffic and support business growth.
• Lincoln Center, Lincoln County, $91,390: Lincoln’s Shared Kitchen will operate as a licensed, turnkey commercial kitchen that allows food entrepreneurs to test concepts, launch catering businesses, and develop products with reduced financial risk. The space will support startup and scaling opportunities in a flexible environment.
• Luray, Russell County, $95,090: The Restored Pospishil Building will become the Luray Center for the Arts, featuring artist studios, pop-up vendor spaces, a gallery and a coffee bar. The space will support local artists, create jobs and attract visitors while strengthening downtown activity.
• Minneapolis, Ottawa County, $95,090: The project will bring a shared-use business incubator that includes a kitchen, retail and gathering space for entrepreneurs to test products and operate pop-ups. The collaborative environment will encourage innovation, increase foot traffic, and support ongoing downtown revitalization.
• Potwin, Butler County, $28,250: Station 85 will become a rural entrepreneurship hub combining a retail incubator, small-scale restaurant and food production space. The revitalized historic station will host multiple vendors, expand food access, and create new economic opportunities.
• Yates Center, Woodson County, $95,090: Waymire Marketplace will operate as an artisan-focused incubator featuring shared retail, pop-up space and small studios for makers and small-batch producers. The space will support product launches, business growth and increased downtown activity.
• Lebanon, Smith County, $78,294: The project will create a second-floor incubator and flexible workspace hub with offices, meeting space and shared business resources. The renovated space will support entrepreneurs, remote workers and small businesses while increasing downtown activity.
• Marion, Marion County, $85,853: The project will establish a co-working hub, meeting space and small business marketplace designed to support entrepreneurs and remote workers.
• Norton, Norton County, $85,853: The renovated building for the project will function as a flexible small-business incubator with multiple tenant spaces and an event area for markets and pop-ups. The space will provide affordable opportunities for entrepreneurs to test, launch and grow businesses.

The Downtown Revive & Thrive program is designed to support projects that repurpose existing infrastructure to create spaces and provide equipment for business incubators, pop-up retail and restaurants, and innovative concepts that drive growth and contribute to vibrancy in communities. The program is administered by the Office of Rural Prosperity of the Kansas Department of Commerce.

To learn more about the Downtown Revive and Thrive program or view awarded projects, visit here.

The program is one of many funding opportunities provided by the Department of Commerce that is aimed to support rural communities across the state. To learn more about grant opportunities, visit the Grants Calendar here.