The Lofts at the Zarah won’t be finished this year, but the excitement behind the project hasn’t waned. At Monday’s Great Bend City Council meeting, the contractor asked for an extension to June 30, 2026.

Due to a combination of unforeseen circumstances and factors outside of the builders’ control, additional time is required to complete the project that was supposed to be done in 2025, Justin Pregont with Pomeroy Development told the council.

“I represent the local ownership group doing the Lofts at the Zarah project,” he said. This will turn the upper stories of the former Zarah Hotel on Main Street into loft apartments. He thanked the City for its help applying for programs to make the project work. The extension is part of two cooperative agreements with the City that had a 2025 deadline. The first is the moderate income housing ARPA program that was funded through the Kansas Housing Resource Corporation.

“Also, we had an Industrial Revenue Bond issue for the sake of garnering a sales tax exemption certificate for construction materials on this project.” It was also projected to expire at the end of this year. With the council’s approval on Monday, the developer can “queue up all of these different programs ... and our completion date is shifted to June 30, 2026.” This does not require additional funding, he added.

“I do this kind of work all over the state,” Pregont said. “The commitment that the ownership group here made to use as many local companies as possible is really commendable. And a building like this – part of it is concrete, part of it is wood frame – there’s been a lot of challenges, and you just don’t know what you don’t know when you get into it.”

Council members didn’t hesitate to approve the new deadline before asking for an update on the project. Mark Bitter and Sheryl Cheely were in the audience as local representatives.

Pregont gave his impressions as someone who comes to Great Bend about every four to six weeks:

• There is now an operable elevator platform that will get a cab installed around it.

• Mark Bitter’s team is full of craftsmen, as opposed to laborers. “You can tell that by the intricacy of the historic woodwork restoration that’s going on throughout the building. ... All of the original wood trim, all of the original wood doors and original hardware has been meticulously restored.”

• A substantial amount of rough-in plumbing work, creating a building that meets modern building codes, is done.

• There’s a new roof on the entire building, and there are new Pella windows.

• The original building had a single stairway going up the south side. “We were required to put in a new stairway that goes from the first floor all the way to the fourth floor.

Cheely also spoke, thanking the council for supporting the project.

“It’s been a long-time dream, and it’s looking great. We’re getting the restaurant back open downstairs, too.” 

This past weekend, with Final Fridays on Forest and the Family Crisis Center’s Fall Festival on Saturday at Jack Kilby Square, and with shops and restaurants available downtown, the lofts will be an attractive addition, she said, noting one health-care professional who recently moved to Great Bend is looking forward to renting one.

The developers still hope to have a walk-through for City Council members and invited guests in November.

Other business

In other business Monday, the council:

• Approved a claims warrant covering bills to date and $434,619.88 covering the payroll ending Sept. 27.

• Approved an abatement for 1516 2nd St., where a brush pile on the east side of the property needs to be removed.

• Approved a temporary extension to the premises of Dry Lake Brewery, 1305 Main, on Nov. 1. This will allow the Brewery to host a Halloween party with food trucks and a pumpkin smash behind the business. The council also voted to close the alley from Lakin Ave. to Forest Ave. and a portion of the city-owned parking lot at Lakin and Williams from 4 p.m. to midnight. Dry Lake is working with the state Alcoholic Beverage Control to obtain additional permits for the activity. City Administrator Logan Burns said this has been requested and granted since 2021.