Building new housing and renovating existing housing takes money and the availability of contractors and skilled workers. It has taken years for EcoDevo to build the capacity to take on its current ten-unit rental housing project.
1. 2014 – Duplex in Macksville (currently rented)
2. 2015 – House Renovation in Hudson (sold)
3. 2016 – House in Stafford (sold)
4. 2021 – House built in Conjunction with K-State in St. John (currently rented; 1/10)
5. 2022 – House in Hudson (currently rented; 2/10)
6. 2022 – House in Stafford (currently rented; 3/10)
7. 2022 – House in Stafford (currently rented; 4/10)
8. 2022 – House in Stafford (currently rented; 5/10)
9. 2022 – House in St. John (currently rented; 6/10)
10 .2022 – House in St. John (currently rented; 7/10)
11. 2022 – House in St. John (currently rented; 8/10)
12. 2023 – House in Macksville (currently rented; 9/10)
13. 2023 – House in Macksville (currently rented; 10/10)
14. 2024 – Prairie Vista Housing Project (9 houses currently being constructed)
5 houses in St. John
4 houses in Stafford
Duplex built in 2014
House renovated in 2015
Single-family house constructed 2015-2016.
Affordable, energy-efficient house designed and built in conjunction with the Net Positive Studio at K-State. This project began in the fall of 2019. Construction took a year and the house was completed in August 2021.
This is the first of nine additional rental houses being built based on the K-State prototype. Construction started in August 2021 and was completed in February 2022.
This is the second of nine additional rental houses built based on the K-State prototype. Construction started in October 2021 and was completed in May 2022.
This is the third of nine additional rental houses built based on the K-State prototype. Construction started in October 2021 and was completed in May 2022.
This is the fourth of nine additional rental houses built based on the K-State prototype. Construction started in October 2021 and was completed in May 2022.
This is the fifth of nine additional rental houses being built based on the K-State prototype. Construction started in May 2022.
This is the sixth of nine additional rental houses being built based on the K-State prototype. Construction started in May 2022.
This is the seventh of nine additional rental houses being built based on the K-State prototype. Construction started in October 2022.
This is the eigth of nine additional rental houses being built based on the K-State prototype. Construction started in May 2022.
This is the final Prairie View rental houses being built based on the K-State prototype. Construction started in October 2022.
Our E-Community partnership with Network Kansas gives us access to funding to be able to provide small business loans. You can find out more information about our this partnership and loans here.
in loan funding provided to local businesses
Elroy’s Pizza
Mary’s Kitchen
Beauty Trendz
Stompin Ground
Stafford Mercantile
Rustik’s
Forget Me Not
Chic Shack Salon and Spa
Farm Bureau Insurance
Triplet Automotive
Capacity Building
Citizen-Driven
These projects were initiated by citizens, who then approached EcoDevo to become involved because the organization had the capacity to carry out the project.
Specialty Crop Block Grant from the Kansas Department of Agriculture provided funding for 5 high tunnels and technical assistance.
Workspace 311, a business incubator and remote work space, opened in August 2019. This was originally conceptualized as Launch Pad Incubator and evolved over time as we adapted to meet the changing needs.
When the Dillons grocery store in St. John closed, citizens and the city got to work trying to recruit a new grocer. EcoDevo eventually stepped in to become the developer of the Stafford County Marketplace opened in October 2018 and is home to White’s Foodliner, Stafford County Drug, and Tiger Stop which is a convenience store and fuel pumps.
EcoDevo facilitated the purchase of a property that the citizens wanted to demolish.
The Founding of St. John mural is located at Main Street and 2nd Avenue in St. John. In 2019, David Robinson approached EcoDevo to be a fiscal sponsor for a mural project. EcoDevo already owned an idea lot for the proposed project and was able to secure matching grant funds.
AmeriCorps VISTA (2018-2022)
AmeriCorps VISTAs focus on capacity building, basically, they help the organization do more. They do things like research, program development, and grant writing. This extra support allowed EcoDevo to further new and existing projects and programs. Find more information here.
Bike & Build (2015, 2016, 2019, 2020)
Pedaling for Affordable Housing. Bike & Build leads service-oriented cycling trips. They have done work days in Stafford County during their cross-country bike trip three different years. And, in 2020, we hosted two Bike & Build volunteers who spent 8 weeks working on projects in Stafford County since the cross-country bike trips were canceled.
2015 – helped with demolition at a house in Hudson house, painted bleachers at the County fairgrounds, and painted the front of the Stafford Chamber of Commerce Sandifer building located in downtown Stafford
2016 – assembly of kitchen cabinets for the Business Incubator and removed plaster at Gray’s Studio
2019 – painted walls and laid carpet tiles at the Business Incubator and replaced boards on bleachers for the Stafford County Fairboard
2020 – worked on Gray’s Studio and assisted with panel assembly for the K-State house build
Entrepreneurship (ongoing)
EcoDevo is committed to supporting new and existing businesses through small business loans, business resources, and entrepreneurship programming. As a NetWork Kansas Entrepreneurship Community (E-Community), EcoDevo has a locally-controlled loan fund to assist entrepreneurs with capital and connectivity to resources to assist entrepreneurs and small businesses. EcoDevo hosts Stafford YEC a youth entrepreneurship competition for students in 7th – 12th grade. In 2019, we offered an 8-week entrepreneurial mindset class for adults.
Photography Contest (ongoing)
EcoDevo sponsors an annual photography contest at the county fair for images that will be used on promotional materials and/or our website. There are three categories: people, places, and commerce. One winner is selected from each of the categories and an unlimited number of honorable mentions are also selected. Consideration is given to the clarity of the image, visual appeal, and artistic quality. Photos that include people and portray everyday life are encouraged.
Healthy Communities Initiative (2013-2019)
Later rebranded as Live Well Stafford County, this was a volunteer-based health coalition dedicated to improving the health of all Stafford County residents by building local infrastructure that supports walking and biking to maximize safety, economic, accessibility, and environmental benefits. Live Well Stafford County invested in community education to promote healthy lifestyles and improve the overall quality of life for all residents.
This included organizing a 5K run, conducting walkability assessments in our four largest cities, having Master Walk/Bike Plan maps created for our communities, having preliminary engineering done for the City of Stafford’s downtown streetscape, providing a cooking class in the Macksville, Stafford and St. John, and bringing back the St. John Farm and Art Market.
Workforce (ongoing)
EcoDevo sees value in providing training and support to those looking for work. We offered a Remote Work Program from 2019-2022. This program helped individuals with the job search process: writing resumes, applying for jobs, gaining remote work skills, etc. While there was some success, it ended because of a lack of participation. In 2021, we piloted a new program called Empowerment Training with the JAG program at Stafford USD 349.
EcoDevo has assisted a number of entities in the county apply for grants. These are some of the grants that they were awarded:
1. 2012 – Stafford USD 349 – $25,000 to remodel the FACS kitchen
2. 2013 – Gray Photography Studio – $75,000 for building work
3. 2014 – Stafford Community at Large – assisted with establishing the Stafford Community Improvement Fund at Golden Belt Community Foundation
4. 2015 – City of St. John – $198,360 for a new sidewalk (This grant required a 10% match and a commitment to ongoing maintenance. Hudson, Macksville, and Stafford were presented with the same opportunity but their city councils decided not to pursue the grant funding.)
5. 2016 – Stafford County – $27,075 to conduct an airport feasibility study
6. 2016 – Stafford County – $100,000 for downpayment assistance for new houses built within city limits
7. 2018 – Macksville Housing Authority – helped receive weatherization assistance from SCKEDD
8. 2019 – City of Staford/Stafford Landbank – $125,000 to renovate 3 houses
9. 2020 – Port Authority of Stafford County – $150,000 for legal work and engineering
10. 2021 – Gray Photography Studio – $50,000 for structural repair and restoration
11. & 12. 2022 – SEED Grant – $49,125 to fund projects at the library in Macksville, the library in Stafford, and the grocery store in Stafford
EcoDevo has also served as a grant administrator and fiscal sponsor for several projects. You can learn more about fiscal sponsorship here.
Please note: EcoDevo does not always have capacity to offer assistance with grants and may decline requests for assistance.
Wrote a grant for Stafford USD 349 to remodel the FACS kitchen with commercial food prep equipment that would enable commercial research and development.
Secured a grant for Gray’s Studio from the Creative Economy Project Support through the Kansas Creative Arts Industry Commission.
Helped establish a community improvement fund at Golden Belt Community Foundation for Stafford.
Worked with Great Plains Development to write a Community Development Block Grant application on behalf of the City of St. John for sidewalk implementation along First Street.
Helped Stafford County receive a grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation to conduct an airport feasibility study.
Secured a grant for the county to provide four individuals/families with a $25,000 down-payment for the construction of a new house within city limits. Only two of the four were utilized during the three-year grant period.
The Macksville Housing Authority began working with Economic Development to utilize some programs to do updates to the Evergreen Apartments.
Wrote a grant for the City of Stafford to the Kansas Housing Resource Corporation. This provided funding for the Stafford Landbank to renovate three houses.
Secured grant funding for the Port Authority of Stafford County so it could begin the necessary legal and engineering work for port development.
Wrote a historic preservation grant for Gray Photography Studio to shore up structural issues and continue the restoration.
Awarded SEED funding for 1 project in Macksville: Macksville City Library Carpet & Storm Door Upgrade
Awarded SEED funding for 2 projects in Stafford: Main Street Market & Deli Updates and Nora E. Larabee Library Windows & Interior Foyer System.
Since our founding, EcoDevo has made housing a priority. Building new housing and renovating existing housing takes money and the availability of contractors and skilled workers.
Lack of housing continues to be a concern. Both the City of Stafford and the City of St. John have established landbanks to also work at addressing the problem. In 2019, EcoDevo assisted the Stafford Landbank in applying for grant funding to renovate three houses. The Stafford Landbank was awarded $125,000.
EcoDevo has been working on our current housing initiative since 2018. It’s been a multi-year process to develop the house design, secure funding for construction, and find a contractor to take on the project.
In 2014, EcoDev constructed a duplex in Macksville. We broke ground in April and construction was completed in October. Funding for this project came from being awarded an allocation of Kansas Community Service Tax Credits in 2013 and finding placements for them as well as a Moderate Income Housing Grant.
In April 2015, EcoDevo purchased a house in Hudson to repair and renovate. The project was completed in January 2016. Funding for this project came from several sources including grants from Bike & Build and Golden Belt Community Foundation.
In October 2015, EcoDevo broke ground on a new house in Stafford. In April 2016, construction was completed. The house was sold in July. Funding for this project came from funds raised through our 2013 allocation of community service tax credits and Moderate Income Housing funds.
From 2016-2019, EcoDevo worked with the County to offer a down payment assistance program for individuals who built new houses within city limits. Four $25,000 grants had been available and only 2 were utilized before the program expired. Funding for this program came from a Moderate Income Housing Grant.
EcoDevo partnered with Net+ Studio at Kansas State University’s College of Architecture, Planning, and Design to develop and construct an energy-efficient, affordable house. In Fall 2019, the graduate students conducted research and presented preliminary designs. After receiving feedback on their designs, they developed the plans for a 1,100 sq. ft., 3-bedroom 2-bathroom house. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the building of this prototype. Construction began in August 2020 and the house was completed in August 2021. Grant funding for this project came from Kansas Housing Resource Corp. and the Sunderland Foundation.
10 Unit Rental Development (K-State prototype + nine additional houses)
The additional houses are based on the design of the K-State prototype and will be spread throughout the county: 1 in Hudson, 3 in Stafford, 3 in St. John, and 2 in Macksville. Funding for this project comes from three grants and a loan: Kansas Housing Resource Corporation grant through the HOME Rental Development Program, Federal Home Loan Bank grant and loan financing package, and Sunderland Foundation grant. The funding comes with 20 years of requirements including income restrictions on all the units and age restrictions on half of the units.
