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Gage County approves $7,000 visitor-improvement grant for Blue Springs tourism enhancements
Summary
Supervisors voted to award a $7,000 visitor improvement grant to the Blue Springs '1 Property at a Time' project for historic-themed banners, wayfinding and blue lighting on the Blue Springs Bridge.
The Gage County Board of Supervisors approved a $7,000 visitor-improvement grant for the nonprofit 1 Property at a Time to fund banners, wayfinding and blue lighting for the Blue Springs Bridge, part of a broader campaign to highlight Blue Springs’ historic sites.
Tourism coordinator Dakota Hurley and applicant Shirley Martin described the project as both a short-term effort to welcome visitors arriving for Cattlemen’s Ball and a permanent enhancement to the town’s streetscape. The grant covers half of an estimated $14,000 project cost.
Martin said the project will use historic imagery and banners to point visitors to local attractions, including Johnson’s Cabin, Chief Standing Bear Trail and a historic Methodist Church; she also said the Blue Springs Cemetery is being considered for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.
Supervisors praised the application as unusually thorough. One supervisor noted the potential for thousands of visitors to see Blue Springs during the event and said the improvements offer a lasting community benefit beyond the event itself. The motion to award $7,000 passed with five votes in favor; one supervisor (Adams) abstained because he serves as chairman of 1 Property at a Time and declared a conflict.
The grant is described in the application as an “evergreen” project — banners and lighting will remain in place after the event. County staff will release funds under the visitor-improvement grant program once project details and invoices are submitted.
