Partners launch revitalization plan with building rehab

A Mound City-based property management company is doing its part to help revitalize portions of the downtown Fort Scott area, one building at a time.

Pat Carney, Greg Regehr, and Michael Wunsch, the owners and partners of Fort Scott Properties, LLC, called FSP LLC for short, have chosen an old building on the northwest corner of Wall and Main streets as their first renovation project. The company recently began hiring local professionals to help remodel the entire building into apartments and other business space. Carney said the building was built sometime in the early 1900s.

The company's goal is to determine what local residents want done with vacated buildings in the community, so that Carney and his partners can take the steps needed to complete those projects. The old downtown building, once home to Citizens National Bank, is first on their list and will be completely gutted and remodeled, Carney said.

"Whatever residents want, we will try to do," Regehr said. "We want to know what does this community want and need."

The three businessmen also have experience in remodeling homes, more specifically lake homes on Sugar Valley Lake in Mound City, Carney said. Carney, who also owns a video production company in Lenexa, said the three men became friends who shared an interest in real estate.

A few months ago, they began looking at old, empty buildings to purchase in Fort Scott and renovate into facilities that are useful to the community, Carney said. Carney said they chose Fort Scott because of its close proximity to Mound City, and the fact that Fort Scott is the nearest town to Mound City where people may visit to eat a good meal, stay in a nice hotel, and take part in other activities within the community.

"Every time we drive in (to Fort Scott), it's beautiful," Carney said. "You drive in and see the beauty of these few blocks (downtown). We want to restore and keep the beauty of these places."

The company's first project in Fort Scott involves the complete remodeling of the old downtown structure, which in the past, has operated as a beauty salon, an attorneys' office, a bank, and most recently as the Sunshine Boutique, a gifts and cosmetics store that has since relocated across the street.

Fort Scott city officials have been instrumental in helping Carney and his associates have inspections of the building conducted, and in hiring local trade professionals, such as electricians and plumbers, to complete necessary work, he said. A recent inspection of the building showed that it was "rock solid" and in relatively good condition, Carney said.

Carney and his crew have also found several interesting items within the old building during the remodeling process. Old bank records from the 1930s and 1940s were discovered, as well as several handwritten bank deposit slips, Carney said. Company officials have talked to city officials about these documents to determine what can be done with them, he said.

Crews also found an old dome on the building's roof, which was the centerpiece of the old ballroom that once existed there, Carney said.

The company is in talks with the city about possible state and federal grants that would help finance the project, Carney said. It is currently unknown how much the total project will cost.

"The city's been wonderful," he said.

The three business partners also chose Fort Scott because of its potential for expansion and growth, especially through the expansion of U.S. Highway 69 into a four-lane freeway from Fort Scott north to Louisburg, Carney said. That project, which is being completed by the Kansas Department of Transportation, is scheduled to be completed sometime later this year.

Carney said he is also an advocate for the continued expansion of U.S. Highway. 69 south through Oklahoma to Texas, which could potentially bring even more people and business to Fort Scott.

"The city's (Fort Scott) going to grow," he said.

The company plans to make several modern upgrades to the building they are currently working on in downtown Fort Scott, including installation of brand new appliances, new bathtubs, new toilets and sinks for the six apartments to be located on the building's third floor. The second floor of the building will be remodeled into office space, while the first floor will continue to be used for retail space, Carney said. A brand new plumbing and smoke alarm system will also be installed throughout the building.

"We're going to make these upscale," he said.

All of the labor for the project is being contracted locally within Fort Scott, Carney said. While the company has not recruited much in the way of volunteer labor, several area youth have lent their assistance in helping workers with remodeling tasks inside the building, he said. All major work will be done by local professionals.

"Everything we can do to help the city and keep the money within the city," Carney said.

Carney said it would be about two months before the first couple of apartments are available for rent, which would provide the company with some income to keep the project moving along as planned.

If their current undertaking is successful, the company might remodel future buildings in the area, Carney said. Some ideas for area buildings that company officials have received from the community include a facility for wedding receptions, large meetings, and graduations, Carney said.

Officials are researching certain local buildings to determine whether or not they would be cost effective, he said.