Questions and concerns have been raised over the funding for the Great Bend Innovation Center after a pause in construction was announced in November. The Great Bend Tribune met with representatives from Great Bend Economic Development Inc. (GBED) on Monday, Dec 8. Topics discussed were funding for the Innovation Center as well as the structure of GBED and the organizations underneath its direction.
In attendance representing GBED were Executive Director Jason Kuilan; GBED’s attorney Mark Calcara; GBED Board of Directors President Paul Snapp; Melanie Maneth, accountant; and Golden Belt Community Foundation (GBCF) Executive Director Jason Murray. The Tribune was represented by Andrew Murphy, reporter, and General Manager Dee Duryee.
Murray and Maneth provided details on the funding for the construction project and explained GBED and GBCF formed a fiscal sponsorship agreement for the Innovation Center project. Calcara said that GBCF has been handling the grants and financial aspect of the project since December 2024. It was explained that the agreement was established to help with manpower as well as provide a check and balance on the use of the funds.
Funding Sources
To date, GBED has received nearly $5.3 million total in funding towards the Innovation Center project. Grant funding of $519,000 is earmarked for equipment. The main source of funding for the project, a $4.38 million grant award, was allocated from the Capital Projects Fund Accelerator through the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund. The sale of 2024 tax credits ($243,746.93) and a donation from a private foundation ($300,000), plus interest received from money market investment ($30,283), brings the total amount received for construction costs to roughly $4.8 million of the $7 million construction budget.
After scaling back and implementing cost-saving measures while still fulfilling the Children’s Cabinet Trust fund requirements, $2.1 million is still needed to complete construction of the building, Murray said. However, anticipated sale of 2025 tax credits and sale of the hotel property located at 3017 10th, which is currently under contract, lowers that figure to $1.3 million. The City of Great Bend loaned GBED $100,000 to assist in the demolition of the hotel at the property which to date has not been paid back.
“If everything was 110% perfect, we would have been at a $9 million project,” Murray said, which would include equipment and furnishings for the facility.
The decision to proceed with the Great Bend Innovation Center was a calculated risk.
“We had an opportunity to get $4.3 million,” Calcara said. “We decided that what’s been successful for Great Bend, when you look around, the successes come from home-grown businesses. So we said, how can we create an environment in which entrepreneurs, either from here or from someplace else, can come and be successful in starting what we always call the ‘mom and pop’s’ and then grow it into something else?
“So we thought it was a strategic decision to work in developing an environment in which entrepreneurs could be successful.”
Kuilan also noted that Children’s Cabinet Trust approached GBED after they saw the success of Advancing Barton County Childcare’s Bright Beginnings facility and encouraged GBED to apply for the grant funding to build the Innovation Center. Calcara continued saying it was the right decision to go for it and there would be public criticism if $4.3 million of grant funding was left on the table.
Kuilan explained that no funding for the project had been pulled or retracted, only that potential grants never came to fruition.
“The EDA Build to Scale grant was not awarded at all to anybody in 2025. Now applications are about to open up for 2026 and the Department of Commerce thinks that we’ll have a good opportunity to get that with our project.” Kuilan said. “So that’s why we know that if we can get private donors and businesses to close that remaining gap, there’s plenty of opportunity for things like this to help us continue to get the funding we need.”
Structure of GBED Inc.
Great Bend Economic Development Inc. was formed as a membership corporation in October of 2019. It has two members, the City of Great Bend and the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce. Originally GBED had five board members, two from the city, two from the chamber of commerce and one at large member, chosen by a five-member selection committee made up of two members from the city, one from the chamber, and two board members. In Oct. 2021 the Bylaws of GBED were amended to increase the number of board members to seven. Barton County became a funding partner of GBED in November 2021 and was allocated a seat on the nominating committee.
Calcara explained that underneath GBED Inc. there are three subsidiaries and GBED is the sole member of each corporation underneath it. The three subsidiaries are: Advancing Barton County Children, Inc. (ABCC), Great Bend Alive Inc., and Great Bend Holdings LLC. Each organization has their own separate board of directors. ABCC and Great Bend Alive are both 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations and GBED and Great Bend Holdings LLC are 501(c)(6) entities.
Great Bend Alive Inc. is the owner of the Innovation Center. Great Bend Holdings LLC was formed as a separate corporation due to liability concerns during demolition of the hotel property at 3017 10th St.
The Tribune also met with City of Great Bend representatives on Wednesday. A story about that meeting will appear in Tuesday’s issue.
