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Economic development director updates commissioners on Orbis facility closure, grant pauses and tourism numbers
Summary
Osage County’s economic development director told the commission on May 6 that Orbis plans to vacate its Osage City facility and that state and federal grant programs have been paused or reduced, complicating the county’s project toolbox.
Colleen Mendoza, Osage County’s economic development director, briefed the commission on a series of economic and program updates tied to the recent closure of the Orbis facility in Osage City and changes in state and federal funding programs.
Orbis facility: Mendoza said Orbis has announced an intent to vacate the Osage City facility by July and will list the property for sale through Colliers commercial real estate; county and city economic-development staff are coordinating with Colliers and the Kansas Department of Commerce on marketing. She cautioned that, based on recent facility sales elsewhere in Kansas and current investor uncertainty, a sale could take one to three years and the facility may remain vacant during that window. Mendoza listed facility attributes (rail-served, municipal utility ownership) that are attractive to buyers and noted the building’s limitations — ceilings of roughly 10 to 12 feet compared with modern competing facilities that can have much higher clearance — which may affect the types of industries that will consider the site.
Grants and funding landscape: Mendoza reported that several state and federal grant programs have been paused, reduced, or reorganized under the current administration, limiting tools for economic development. She said the county’s nearly $800,000 Safe Streets for All grant (awarded in February 2024) has been paused; the county may need to wait for the program to resume and Josh and the county clerk will have to review contract materials when the program reopens. Mendoza said the county will resubmit a countywide MIH (modern income housing) application this summer at no additional cost to cities in the county, but warned the round will be highly competitive (she estimated roughly a 50/50 chance). She noted that CDBG funding remains available currently but cautioned there are no guarantees for future rounds.
Orbis-related workforce support and community assistance: Mendoza summarized rapid-response and workforce outreach after the Orbis closure: the Department of Labor rapid-response team, workforce partners and community organizations provided materials in English and Spanish, mock interviews, and a job fair for displaced employees; 60% of displaced workers attended the in-person worker information session and 50% attended the job fair that featured 15 employers. Mendoza also thanked a local foundation and the county board for providing modest financial support (two $100 “chamber bucks” contributions per affected family) to help displaced families with near-term expenses.
Tourism and other updates: Mendoza reported county progress on tourism promotion: the county’s travel-and-tourism social media soft launch (Facebook only) is nearing 800 followers with strong engagement and a demographic skew toward women, and Mendoza said a tourism website would launch by Memorial Day weekend. She provided visitor-spending context (roughly $12 million in visitor spending, 30 jobs generated, $4 million in state/local taxes) and said county visitation was trending up about 3% year over year.
Why it matters: The Orbis closure and pauses in grant programs may affect economic activity, job prospects and county project planning. Mendoza urged readiness to offer incentives for future buyers and told commissioners to prepare for potentially long timelines in facility disposition and business recruitment.
