The Parsons City Commission on Monday afternoon agreed to purchase the LaForge and Budd Construction buildings and properties at 2020 N. 21st St. for $420,000.
The purchase includes 11 tracts of land totaling just over 43 acres. Metal items, a scissor lift, roofing and insulation, the plumbing room and materials therein, nine 6-foot by 22-foot wood bridge beams along with wood guardrail, a tilting deck trailer, 16 box trailers, a pug mill, office equipment and furnishings, tools and various machinery (including striping machine, metal press).
LaForge will lease for $1 four bays at the north/south building containing 5,950 square feet for 15 years. This will include access to restrooms located in bay one.
The $420,000 will come from the wastewater, water and sanitation department budgets. The LaForge property will be the future home of these operations. Public Works will occupy the city’s building at 1000 N. 21st St.
In other matters, commissioners: — Approved a $60,000 forgivable loan to Grandview Cabinetry to help over the next four years with the expense of Grandview consolidating its western facility into the north building in Parsons. The move has brought workers and capital expenses exceeding $500,000 into the city.
— Heard Commissioner Tom Shaw ask about the closed Parsons Theatre. He said he went to a movie at Pittsburg and saw four Parsons people there. He said he understands that a person who bought the Iola and Chanute theaters is still interested in Parsons. He asked what the staff was doing about his interest. City Manager Debbie Lamb said staff has been in contact with him. Shaw said he knows having the Parsons Theatre in private hands complicates matters but he wanted to make sure city staff was doing all it could.
— Shaw also asked that city staff see what it can do to facilitate the development of more restaurant choices in Parsons. Choices are limited on weekends and other times. “That’s really a big hole in the things to do in Parsons right now, on weekends especially,” he said. Parsons Mayor Eric Strait said other communities are suffering as well but that incentives may be available to incentivize the development.
