Pittsburg awarded Kansas Historic Preservation Fund Grant

PITTSBURG, KS – The City of Pittsburg’s downtown revitalization efforts have been given a boost thanks to a $16,000 Kansas Historic Preservation Fund Grant from the Kansas State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Pittsburg was one of seven Kansas communities to receive a SHPO grant this year.

The City will use grant funds to hire a consultant who specializes in historic preservation to research some of the oldest Broadway-facing buildings in the downtown.

City of Pittsburg Assistant City Planner Brittan Brenner says looking into the community’s past will help shape the future of Pittsburg’s downtown.

“Knowing the history of some of our oldest downtown buildings will help us revitalize them, and find the highest and best use for them in the future,” says Brenner.

With the recent success of Block22 at Fourth and Broadway, Pittsburg is experiencing what historic preservation can do to breathe new life into a downtown neighborhood. The City hopes to capitalize on that momentum by addressing other downtown buildings in need of rehabilitation.

“The Block22 project has cultivated a lot of pride in our downtown because of the history those buildings hold,” added Brenner. “Historic preservation is a great way to cultivate pride in your community. When you have pride in a place, you have ownership in that place.”

“We have many other buildings in our downtown district with stories to tell. It will be exciting to find out what those stories are,” she added.

The City plans to release a request for proposals this summer, with the goal of selecting a consultant in September. The historic research will begin this fall, and at the end of the project, the City will have a formal report providing a detailed history for several downtown buildings.

Volunteers on the Pittsburg Downtown Advisory Board and on the downtown Marketing/Events and Infrastructure committees will help engage the community through public outreach efforts. Citizens are encouraged to get involved and participate in the research process. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Brittan Brenner at (620) 240-5190.

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The mission of the City of Pittsburg is to provide exceptional services, facilities and activities with integrity, professionalism, excellent customer service and a commitment to economic vitality.