A new building is being built at the corner of Wall Street and National Avenue for a local Kansas Department of Children and Families office, with a completion date in mid-summer 2024, according to the developer.
The building will be 13,649 square feet and will have the capacity for 40 employees, said the real estate developer Kendall Schoenrock. Schoenrock purchased the building in the summer of 2023.
The State of Kansas released a Request for Proposal for the project and “I answered that request and proposed the downtown site,” he said.” I proposed the site during the RFP process. That location was part of my bid and was selected by the state. We won the bid after proposing the site.”
“This project is very important for the State of Kansas, to retain jobs in Fort Scott,” Schoenrock said. “They could have moved the DCF to another community.”
This is a multi-million dollar investment into downtown Fort Scott, he said.
In addition, it will spur money for retail and restaurants in the downtown area.
“This project will get many people for downtown businesses,” he said. “They will eat downtown, shop downtown, etc.”
The demolition is being done by Skitch’s Hauling and Excavating, Inc.
After demolition, Schoenrock’s team will get to work, putting the building on the south side of the lot, with parking on the north.
“I have rented a house in Fort Scott and will live there for a year,” he said. “I am bringing in my team.”
“Many (local) people helped make this happen,” he said. “Bailey Lyons with Lyons Realty Group, Rob Harrington with Bourbon County Regional Economic Development, and Brad Matkin and Matthew Wells, with the city. And Arnold Scholfield with the Fort Scott Design Review Board provided good, solid feedback for the project.”
“They should be praised,” he said. “Fort Scott has been very supportive. I couldn’t have asked for more support from the city. That’s what is needed to spur development.”
“I have been impressed working with all these people- it’s a team effort,” he said. “They are appreciative of outside money coming to town. I always tried to be a good partner.”
Silverrock Venture is his family business and is based in Junction City. He is a commercial real estate developer.
Recently, he developed and now owns the Flint Hills Medical Home, a 12,375-square-foot medical facility located in Junction City, for the Department of Defense, according to his website.
More can be learned about the owner at his website: kendallschoenrock.com.
