Flubs mar call for bidders
Staff writer
The city of Marion is requesting bids for rehabilitation of a building sold to an Olathe couple 15 months ago, but the proposal contains a few errors.
Owners Daryl and Megan Jones plan to open a barbecue restaurant and have been doing work on the building interior and serving samples at community events such as Old Settlers Day.
Soon after the Joneses bought the building in October 2020, they applied for a $250,000 community development block grant to bring the building up to code.
City council members voted last January to request administrative service proposals if the state approved the $250,000 grant. The grant was awarded in July. Ranson Financial was chosen to handle administrative services.
The request for bids, composed by Rose Mary Saunders of Ranson Financial Group in Wichita, identifies the building as owned by the city.
It also states potential bidders who want to review the building could contact city administrator Roger “Holton,” not “Holter.”
The ad says people who want to review the bid documents could see them at City of Marion, 208 E. Main St., Marion, KS 66861.
There is no 208 E. Main St. in Marion; city offices are at 208 E. Santa Fe St.
After Marion County Record pointed out the errors to Saunders, she decided to correct the ad and have it run in next week’s edition.
The city is somewhat of a tangential player in the process, according to officials.
“The city will not be paying for any of the funds,” Saunders said. “It’s a different kind of CDBG grant. It doesn’t cost the city.”
The grant is intended for downtown commercial rehabilitation projects. The Joneses estimate renovation will cost $345,000.
The county appraiser’s website lists the value of the building as $40,000.
It needs roof replacement, new windows and doors, demolition to allow access to make structural repairs, and electric and plumbing systems brought up to code.