Civil Municipal - June 2024

out there,” he adds. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND BUSINESS GROWTH Great Bend has taken a creative approach to economic development, focusing on enhancing its quality of life amenities, to attract new businesses and residents. Sara Arnberger, the President of Economic Development, explains, “We had to look at what our infrastructure is suited for now, and what we can welcome right at this moment, without significant investment. Before we focus on those large manufacturers that are going to bring their 600 plus employees, we have to focus on the quality of life, and why people would want to move to Great Bend.” With this in mind, the city has been working to attract a vibrant retail and restaurant scene, welcoming entities like Harbor Freight and Starbucks, along with redesigns of tried and true favorites like Wendy’s.“On a more localized front, we’ve had some great new restaurant startups. We’ve seen a lot of significant investment in some of our existing retail and hospitality markets, which is wonderful. And we’ve got some big ones in the works too,”Arnberger relays. KEY PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS The collaborative spirit between Great Bend’s city administration and its economic development organization exemplifies the community’s dedication to progress. “It’s important to note that Great Bend Economic Development is not part of the city entity. We are a separate organization,” asserts Arnberger. “This partnership has been crucial to so much of the development that’s happened,” Burns notes that the city is also grateful for the partnership with the local Kiwanis Club, which contributed to the new splash pad.“They put $30,000 towards the pavilion project there, to make sure we were able to have some shade for community events and birthday parties. So that was key to that project.” Great Bend’s Ignite Rural Business Competition is a catalyst for local entrepreneurship. This Shark Tank- style event awards $95,000 to promising businesses, 66 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 06