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28 April 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – A historic Topeka landmark is set to receive thousands of dollars in state funding for senior housing at the Menniger Clock Tower Apartments.
Governor Laura Kelly announced on April 25 that nearly $10 million is set to go to nine recipients across the Sunflower State. One project listed was the Menniger Clock Tower Apartments in Topeka at $637,500.
“Safe and accessible residential communities for elderly and disabled Kansans are necessary for living independently,” Kelly said. “These awards will increase housing options that meet the needs of these communities.”
KSNT 27 News was able to get an inside look of Menniger’s in 2021 with the help of former Topekan and founder of abandonedks.com Emily Cowan. Earlier proposals from 2021 asked the Topeka City Council to consider transforming the location into a home for veterans.
The clock tower was built in 1929 in the style of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, according to the Kansas Historical Society (KSHS). The building originally provided medical care for the Security Benefit Association. The building later housed offices and a library for the Menniger Foundation. The hall is the former home of the Menninger Clinic which relocated to Houston in 2003.
The funds for this project come from the ARPA Building Opportunities for the Disabled and Elderly (ABODE) program launched early in 2023, according to the Office of the Governor. Other projects receiving funding from ABODE this year include:
Cottonwood Falls Housing Authority, Cottonwood Falls, $1,000,000
Derby Senior Living, Derby, $1,500,000
Maple Gardens Village, Wichita, $1,190,000
John’s Place Apartments, Victoria, $850,000
Sunflower Flats, Manhattan, $1,500,000
Villas at Pinnacle Pointe, Ottawa, $1,080,000
Wiswell Farms Senior Villas, Spring Hill, $1,468,800
WK Housing, Meade, $548,250
The Sunflower Development Group reported on April 25 that it was among the recipients of the grants from ABODE and would be supporting senior housing for the Menniger Clock Tower Apartments.
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