Economic development director: Sapphire Renewables on hold, retail anchor lost and Air Products project shelved

Economic Development Director Eli Swati told the Liberal City Commission that three large projects the city has pursued are currently stalled or on hold, but staff are pursuing alternative investors and continuing smaller-scale business support.

Swati said the Sapphire Renewables project — a previously announced renewable jet-fuel effort tied to a major corporate investor — is in a holding pattern because the project’s primary owner changed leadership and no longer retains the same ownership stake. "For someone who is hyper competitive and doesn't like to lose, it has been a brutal couple of months," Swati said, adding that permitting and engineering work remain but that the ownership change has paused the groundbreaking schedule.

The director also reported that a planned large retail development lost its anchor-store commitment. Swati said the inline retail tenants that had committed remain interested and the development team is seeking a replacement anchor. Separately, he said Air Products has decided not to proceed with a proposed project at the Airport Industrial Park, citing geopolitical uncertainty; Swati said Air Products praised city staff but declined to invest at this time.

Swati described active follow-up on a range of other opportunities: talks with foreign conglomerates interested in energy projects and logistics investments, renewed conversations about wind development on leases in Seward County, and potential transload or distribution facilities leveraging existing rail access. He also noted that Apex Clean Energy remains under a 10-year contract with the city and that staff are exploring potential partnerships that could combine Apex's interests with manufacturing or energy expertise from other firms.

Swati highlighted local economic development work that is proceeding: the development office's small-business lending through Network Kansas has deployed about $550,000 across roughly 30 businesses in Liberal and Seward County, supporting restaurants, manufacturers and other startups. He credited staff members Raquel and Tomas for entrepreneurship and small-business services and said Tom Reynaga has joined part-time to provide loan-readiness and cash-flow support for local businesses.

Swati said the large projects' setbacks do not mean the city has "lost everything," but they have forced staff to pivot and pursue a mix of industrial, retail and international leads. He asked commissioners to refer any prospective investors to the development office and said staff will continue active outreach and data-driven recruitment.

The commission did not take a separate formal vote on the economic development update; it was provided as an informational report and followed by commissioner comments and questions.