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$1.7 million to help turn old Bonner Springs grocery store site into affordable housing

Concept renderings of an apartment building being proposed at Oak and Front streets in Bonner Springs, Kansas.
Concept renderings of an apartment building being proposed at Oak and Front streets in Bonner Springs, Kansas. The City of Bonner Springs

An additional $1.7 million was secured to develop 100 multi-family rental units at a four-story apartment building in downtown Bonner Springs, U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids announced.

A building at 120 Oak St., the site of an old Thriftway grocery store, was demolished a few months ago with plans for the $17 million development.

Bonner Springs officials expect downtown businesses to see “significant increase in patronage” with the units. Mayor Jeff Harrington said the developers hope to break ground in the spring with the building along West Front Street open in fall 2025.

Davids, a Kansas Democrat, said the funding stemmed in part from the American Rescue Plan. The federal grant, she said, will “help build and rehabilitate affordable housing in our state, decreasing housing instability and easing housing costs over time.”

The project was one of 20 across rural areas in Kansas to receive a total of $19 million from the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation.

In a statement, County Administrator David Johnston said the additional units in western Wyandotte County “will help us address the growing demand for quality, affordable housing countywide.”

Luke Nozicka
The Kansas City Star
Luke Nozicka was a member of The Kansas City Star’s investigative team until 2023. He covered criminal justice issues in Missouri and Kansas.
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