Late last year, Suddenlink announced a nationwide initiative called Project Gigabit to offer 1 Gbps plans to 90% of their customers by 2017. They also announced that for those customers the lowest speed plans would go from 15 Mbps to 200Mbps.

This month, they announced plans to upgrade technology used in Fort Scott. Gene Regan from Suddenlink said that customers would be receiving information about upgrades to their television service and that while subscribers may be required to upgrade their equipment, that there would be a way to do so with no up-front and no monthly charge.

After getting the details from the team working on the upgrade, Mr. Regan couldn’t say what Internet speeds would be available nor could he say if the upgrades would bring broadband level speeds to the area. Currently the fastest residential plans offered by Suddenlink in Fort Scott are 15 Mbps download and 1.5 Mbps upload. To meet the definition of broadband, service must be at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload. Currently there is no wired residential provider that offers this level of service in Fort Scott.

The Suddenlink press release follows:

Contact:  Gene Regan, 314-315-9644, [email protected]

Suddenlink Upgrading Fort Scott to All-Digital TV, Faster Internet

FORT SCOTT, Kan. (April 6, 2015) – Suddenlink announced today that it is upgrading technology in Fort Scott. Suddenlink has been working with City Manager Dave Martin and Economic Development Director Heather Griffith to enhance its advanced video services as well as launch faster high-speed Internet services.

“Dedicated community members, city, and county officials have worked together for a long time advocating for additional bandwidth and faster Internet speeds in Fort Scott,” Griffith said. “In today’s technology-driven environment, businesses and residents rely heavily on the Internet for work and recreation. We at the city are pleased to work with Suddenlink as they make significant upgrades to their current offerings in our community.”

Preliminary field work has begun and the first new services will be available in early summer.    Customers will be receiving updates on the project’s status as well as when the new services and enhancements will be available.

The first phase of local work in the community will facilitate a new, all-digital TV lineup. Digital TV features superior picture and sound quality.

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Suddenlink (suddenlink.com) is the seventh largest cable operator in the United States, supporting the information, communication and entertainment demands of approximately 1.4 million residential and commercial customers in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia and elsewhere. Suddenlink simplifies its customers’ lives through one call for support, one connection, and one bill for TV, Internet, phone and other services.

The City of Fort Scott learned a few days ago that this year’s tax credit competition through the Kansas Housing Resource Corporation is highly competitive. Our downtown Western Building redevelopment project is dependent on the award of these tax credits.

We are asking for your assistance in writing a support letter to demonstrate how much the Fort Scott community is behind this project to save the Western Building. Below is some information about the project and talking points to personalize in your own letter. Thank you in advance for your help in revitalizing Fort Scott’s historic downtown.

The City of Fort Scott views this project as an excellent opportunity for economic development by taking underutilized property and redeveloping it for valuable use. We have worked diligently for several years with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, through the Brownfield’s program, to identify environmental hazards and determine potential future use for the former Western Insurance property. The Fort Scott City Commission voted unanimously in 2014 to commit $1,000,000 of city capital improvement funds to the project for environmental remediation consisting of mold and asbestos abatement. The Western Building Senior Apartments will be a significant improvement over the existing blighted structure.
The redevelopment will be focused on preserving the historical characteristics of the building while incorporating high-quality apartments. The attention to historic preservation of the building while offering modern amenities, embodies the spirit of Fort Scott as the hometown with a historic past and a promising future.
Please consider sending a personalized letter of support for the project. Some information to consider when drafting a letter (please do not copy and paste, but make the letter your own, as KHRC has seen this information in the City’s support letter):

* Fort Scott residents thoughtfully remember the former Western Insurance building as a thriving business and the center of commerce for this community.

* Saving the property from demolition, and converting it to much needed elderly housing, will preserve a significant piece of our city’s great history.

* The addition of 40 apartment units serving fixed-income seniors will help meet the current and future housing needs of our community.

* The setting of downtown is perfect for seniors that do not wish to travel far for services and activities.

* The housing project would be a neighbor to City Hall and there are a number of restaurants, retail, barber/salons, service-based businesses and attractions within walking distance.

* The successful completion of this project a critical component in the revitalization of our historic downtown. The project will be a catalyst for further developments in the downtown historic district.

* Local companies are expanding and working diligently to recruit employees to the area. A thriving downtown is a key consideration people take into account when relocating to a community for employment.

* The redevelopment of the Western Building property is not financially possible without the allocation of tax credits to an experienced developer of historic properties.

* It would be devastating to the Fort Scott community to allow the property to continue to deteriorate to the point of condemnation and ultimately demolition.

Address letters to:

Fred Bentley
Director of Rental Housing Development
Kansas Housing Resources Corporation

Email letters to:

[email protected]

DEADLINE: Friday March 20, 2015 (TOMORROW – at the time of publication)