PDF of news release

New Reason to "Get the Heck into Dodge!"

There’s a new reason to “get the heck into Dodge!”  The historical western town recently became the newest member of the Kansas Main Street program.  The designation means residents and visitors will soon notice a revitalized downtown Dodge City.

“We’ve been working with Dodge City for about a year to get them ready for this,” said Kansas Main Street State Coordinator Jeanne Stinson. “There has been a tremendous amount of growth in Dodge City, and it certainly is their time.”

Kansas Main Street is a self-help technical assistance program offering in-depth training in organization, design, promotion, and economic restructuring.  Incentive dollars to stimulate private investment are also available.  Dodge City has already hired a Main Street director to be the “go to” person for its new program, and the new director says residents are excited to get started.

“The first year we’re going to focus on clean-up projects that will make a visual impact in the downtown district,” Dodge City Main Street Director Chelsey Fisher said. “The community has been awesome, stepping up to provide volunteers to make the program successful.”

Its designation as a Kansas Main Street community is just the latest good economic news for Dodge City.  Boot Hill Casino & Resort opened late last year, attracting thousands of visitors and creating hundreds of new jobs.  A new multi-purpose events center being built adjacent to the casino is expected to open in February 2011.

“Great things have been happening on the outskirts of Dodge City,” said Fisher. “Now we’re going to see a renewed focus on bringing our historic downtown back to life.”

Kansas Main Street cities, of which there are now 25, must have a population of less than 50,000.  Communities become designated Main Street cities through a competitive application process. For more information, contact Jeanne Stinson, Kansas Main Street Coordinator, at (785) 296-3485.

The Kansas Lottery has a positive impact on the state’s economy by supporting activities of the Kansas Department of Commerce, including the Kansas Main Street program. This program is paid for with money from the Economic Development Initiatives Fund (EDIF), which is derived from Kansas Lottery proceeds.