bonds with private investment to create substantial development. “The creation of that district led to over $20 million in private investment within the district to pair with the bond that we got from the state,” Westhoff explains. The program funded a new downtown hotel, fast food restaurant, and the popular farmer’s market pavilions, which operate multiple days weekly during summer months. Mayor Young highlights the entrepreneurial ecosystem taking shape: “Atchison boasts many legacy businesses that are the foundation of our economic structure. Additionally, our private investment structure provides incentive programs for new entrepreneurs spurring businesses such as coffee shops, clothing boutiques, and spas.” The Atchison Area Chamber of Commerce, representing over 200 businesses and individuals, actively supports this growth through networking and community engagement initiatives. Economic development efforts focus on leveraging the city’s manufacturing heritage, where nearly 25% of residents work in manufacturing jobs, more than double the national average of 12%. HEALTHCARE AS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE The proposed Benedictine College School of Osteopathic Medicine is by and large Atchison’s most ambitious economic development project yet, with potential to fundamentally reshape the city’s future. “If they successfully open in 2028, which is what we understand is a targeted goal, this would be a massive economic development for our city,” Mayor Young explains. “It will spur housing and other initiatives.”The school would train 180 medical students annually, making Benedictine one of the few private colleges in America to operate a medical school focused on osteopathic medicine and Catholic bioethics. 23 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 09 ATCHISON, KS
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