South-central Kansas town continues fire recovery

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ANTHONY, Kan. (AP) -- The south-central Kansas town of Anthony is looking to replace a block-long section of downtown that burned last summer. The effort is aimed at drawing businesses back to the area.

The area's remaining shop owners complain that the July 8 fire -- which started when a section of alley collapsed, severing a gas line -- has hurt business.

Amy Wells said she's losing customers who would have dropped by her flower and gift store while in town to visit nearby shops that the blaze destroyed.

The city has lost an average of 8 percent of monthly sales tax collections since the fire. But it's unclear how much of that is a direct loss from the missing block, how much from the economic recession and how much from lost indirect sales.

Local leaders predict it will take at least another month before wreckage is cleared from the area.

After that, the city wants to rebuild the block and then offer the commercial spaces on a lease-to-own plan.

The city hopes to generate money through the creation of a Community Improvement District, which would allow it to increase the local sales tax 1 percent if enough businesses agreed to the plan.

That extra sales tax revenue would go toward repaying the building bonds, while the lease payments would be collected to create a revolving loan fund for economic development.

"It's not just for the fire," said Harper County Economic Development Director Mike Lanie, "but to create an economic development fund to promote and recruit businesses to come to Anthony."

Opinions of the plan were mixed among business owners.

"When my store burned in '75, I built it back myself," said Larry Olds, owner of Larry's Hometown Market. "I'm not for it."

Wells, whose J-Mac Flowers and Gifts marked the start of its 10th year of business on Main Street last week, backs the proposal.

"I don't love taxes any more than the next guy," Wells said. "Being a business in a small town, we pay our share of taxes. At the same time, if the way it works out to stay in business I have to pay some more, I'll make the sacrifices. I refuse to let Anthony die."

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Information from: The Hutchinson News, http://www.hutchnews.com