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Larned housing named Prairie Vista
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LARNED — Larned’s newest housing project has been named Prairie Vista by the Larned city council.
The 3-bedroom rental duplexes with single car garages occupy 1,200 square feet per unit. The estimated value of the duplexes is more than $130,000. They are targeted to rent for $875 a month. Interested parties can viewed the duplexes anytime.
Charles Spina is the city of Larned’s first-ever housing supervisor. Anyone with questions can contact Spina at 620-285-8500 or 285-8519. Spina resigned his First Ward council spot to accept the responsibility of overseeing the housing project.
“The name should reflect the best that the city of Larned has to offer,” said Spina, who has been marketing the duplex units through various methods. “This is a city project that everybody has invested in. It’s a way of bringing in new people to reside in the city.”
Spina has contacted major employers Pawnee Valley Community Hospital and Larned State Hospital to make their businesses aware of the duplexes.
“These duplexes are really nice. The city council added a few amenities. The safe rooms are a really nice for every apartment. The granite countertops are nice. The cabinet work is pretty. We wanted good quality work that would last for a while.”
A recent ribbon-cutting marked the home stretch of a $3.2 million housing project that has built 10 duplexes and 20 rental spots at K-156 and Morris.
“The city council wanted more housing to be available, but we also wanted to invest in the city of Larned,” Spina said. “They are owned by the city outright. In the future, the city will make a decision to keep them an income source, or in 10 years, they may be available to buy.”
Larned used a $400,000 grant from the Kansas Housing Resources Commission to help with infrastructure and development.
Larned city manager Lane Massey said the city accepted most of the financial risk. The city owns the property and develops road, sewer and water infrastructure. The city has 20 additional acres to purchase for future development. Future development is likely to be rewarded with some city-based incentives.
The final touch has been exterior landscaping. The city will handle all street maintenance and landscaping.
“The landscaping really finishes the neighborhood,” Spina said. “We’ll add some shrubs and trees.”
City manager Massey, and city staff members Austin Battin; Alan Taylor, street superintendent, Frieda Smith, code enforcement, and their crews have invested time in the project.
The Kansas Housing Resources Corporation is a self-supporting, public corporation which serves as the primary administrator of federal housing programs on behalf of the state of Kansas.
Leawood’s Overland Property Group, LLC, served as developer. Overland Park’s Property Group’s 40 developments feature more than 2,000 units and $250 million of affordable and market-rate apartments.
Matt Gillam, Overland Property Group, said Larned officials accepted all of the risk by issuing a $2.5 million bond to cover construction costs that the city hopes to recoup once the duplexes are rented.