The vacant house at 1311 S. National Avenue has the beginning work of rehabilitation done by several volunteers and others.
“We were notified by the Fort Scott Codes Department in 2017 of a house on National that they thought could be rehabbed,” said Carolyn Sinn, a member of the Youth Activity Team, which took on the project to repair then sell the house to benefit Fort Scott’s Ellis Park.
A veteran living in the home at the time was relocated.
“He was relocated with help from a lot of people in the community,” Sinn said. “To a quality place.”
The city thought the house was salvageable and YAT paid $4, 101 for it, which included the prior years taxes, she said.
The Youth Activities Team, the Good Neighbor Action Team and the Fort Scott Fire Department helped with the demolition, Sinn said.
A new roof and windows (paid for by Peerless Products, Fort Scott) were put on the house.
“We hired Amish carpenters to repair the porch and stabilize the garage,” she said. “Jeff Allen did some electrical work for us a donation.”
Then the COVID-19 Pandemic happened.
“The work got stopped,” she said. “During COVID, materials got out of control.”
All together they have invested approximately $26,000 in the house.
“When it was over, we looked at it again and decided to sell the house and hopefully get it back on the tax rolls,” Sinn said.
The YAT asked the City of Fort Scott to auction it off and any money made will be transferred to the parks committee, to be used for sensory park equipment, she said. Sensory equipment allows more easily accessed playgrounds for children of all abilities.
The City of Fort Scott voted to allow the YAT to sell the house at the commission meeting on May 16, 2023.
The original YAT was comprised of Sinn, Eric Bailey, Laura George, Tom Roberts, Paul Martin, Larry Fink and Diana Mitchell.
Following the sale of the house, the YAT will be dissolved, Sinn said.
“We have a lot of enthusiastic people in the community now,” she said.
Through the years YAT has raised money for upgrades and improvement to Ellis Park, on 12th Street, near the Fort Scott Middle School.
They installed lighting, put in a sand volleyball court, a basketball court, a walking trail, and UMB Bank helped with building a pavilion at the park.
“With the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team we raised $37,600 for the sensory equipment in the park,” Sinn said. “That money we gave to the city parks committee for sensory equipment in the park on Dec. 14, 2022.”