Great Bend Economic Development President Jason Kuilan presented some highlights for 2025 in his report to the City Council on Monday and also fielded questions about the stalled construction of the Ignite Innovation Center.
Councilman Gary Parr responded with questions, noting a temporary office at the construction site was removed on Monday.
“I suppose you know that the general contractor left – Seaton – they pulled their office. You knew that. So who’s going to take that over from here, the construction? Who’s going to finish the roof and the doors and who’s going to do the parking lot if they’re gone?”
“Well, it’s a lot of subcontractors,” Kuilan said. “So once we restart, we’ll ...”
“You’re going to have to have some type of general contractor to oversee all of that,” Parr said.
“Yes, I just don’t have an answer for you today.”
Kuilan later clarified the issue, answering a question from the Great Bend Tribune, via email.
“Seaton is relocating their mobile office to another job site while we pause construction. If there was a major change with the contractor I would have communicated it; any rumors otherwise are false.”
Parr also wanted to know why the Council didn’t receive a financial report last year, when it is supposed to get one every three months, and when it will get one again. He said he realizes Kuilan is new and won’t know why the reports didn’t come in the past. As for the new report, Kuilan said he wasn’t able to get one done by Jan. 5 but will have one in February.
What’s been done
This exchange came after Kuilan reported on what has been done at the site.
“For winterization, the contractor installing the metal panels should be back this week,” Kuilan said. “Gas piping is done and been tested; they just need to put regulators back on. The building has been turned over to permanent power. The brick expansion joints have been completed. All windows have been installed. The metal doors on the back of the building expect to have frames delivered this week, and those doors will get installed ASAP, and then, assuming all goes well, we should be done in the next two to three weeks – minus the storefront doors ... on back order.” For those doors, he said they are waiting to hear an updated delivery date before deciding whether or not we want to install temporary doors.
“Additionally, I’ve been working with a company to take the vision that I created for the Innovation Center and create an interactive website that will soon be live, hopefully in the next two weeks, for the public.”
The site will evolve “over and over again ... as the needs of the community change,” he said. “It will outline some of the numerous resources that we’re bringing together in one place. It will define how we’re addressing the community challenges ...”
He also mentioned meetings with the Great Bend Tribune, when reporter Andrew Murphy requested records.
“We already shared visibility into the financials with the Tribune, but we will go ahead and make that as transparent as we can on the site, so that you understand what funding has been raised to date.”
Other aspects of Kuilan’s comments to the City Council can be found here.
