The ribbon cutting for the new  Welcome to Fort Scott downtown arch kicked off the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Downtown Clean-up project on April 22 at 3 p.m.

The new arch is near the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce office at 231 E Wall.

The welcome arch was grant-funded, with a total cost of $150,000, Rachel Carpenter said in an interview.

Grants were provided by the Patterson Family Foundation and a  #BCBSKSPathways and was a  #placemaking project, through the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team.

The project began in October 2021.

“The Chamber envisioned a downtown welcome sign,” she said. The HBCAT “Involved citizens throughout the process, with public forums, a survey, and was guided by a steering committee.”

Local tradesmen were used for the project when possible, “except for the steel component which was TL Steele of Burrton, KS,” Carpenter said.

The Patterson family and Pathways ended their grant period to the HBCAT with the finalization of this welcome arch project, Carpenter said.

The final stage of the arch project is side-column lighting and lighting of the sign letters, which  HBCAT is seeking another grant to finish.

During the public ribbon cutting, there were several speakers: Chamber CEO Lindsay Madison, Fort Scott City Manager Brad Matkin, Jody Love and Rachel Carpenter with HBCAT and Blue Cross Blue Shield Pathways Director of the Blue Health Initiative, Virginia Barnes of Topeka.