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Economic Development

Hiawatha is a progressive city that welcomes new business and industry. As the county seat of Brown County, Kansas, Hiawatha is the center of commerce and industry for a large region of Northeast Kansas.

Hiawatha is situated at the crossroads of commerce in the center of our nation. Highways 36 and 73 converge in Hiawatha; Highway 75 is minutes away; Interstates 29 and 70 are easily accessible. Cities such as Topeka, Kansas; Kansas City and St. Joseph, Missouri; and Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska, are within easy driving distance.

Because people like to live in this community, the Hiawatha work force has the strong work ethic necessary to maintain a good quality of life for its families. Also, workers from surrounding communities drive to Hiawatha for good jobs.

The Community Offers:

  • A hard-working, dedicated work force
  • A city council, a city administrator and an economic development foundation with pro-business attitudes
  • An excellent quality of life, which includes
    • a choice of housing ranging from historic homes to custom-built new homes
    • outstanding schools, including a new middle school that opened in August 2000

    • good healthcare provided by highly regarded local doctors, surgeons, and medical professionals in combination with a progressive local hospital

    • an impressive public library
    • numerous churches and local service organizations

Opportunities for leisure activities include:

  • Comfortable overnight accommodations ranging from local motels to cabins in the country
  • Numerous restaurants and fast-food establishments
  • A choice of shopping from quaint downtown shops to national name-brand stores
  • Local chamber of commerce events and promotions, including an annual Maple Leaf/Heritage Day and a Halloween parade
  • An aquatic park with 140-foot water slide
  • A community center facility for meetings and conferences
  • A first-class baseball field, softball and soccer fields, tennis courts and parks
  • The nationally recognized Davis Memorial
  • A downtown historical museum, an agricultural museum, and a genealogical society
  • A movie theater featuring first-run films, a bowling alley and a fitness center
  • Areas for walking, jogging, biking and golfing
  • Close proximity to four casinos, hunting and fishing

Business growth opportunities include:

  • A commercial park with streets, utilities and good highway visibility
  • A 32-acre industrial park site next to a highway exit with railroad availability
  • Buildings for sale or lease ranging in size from 3,000 to 90,000 square feet
  • Prime properties available on Highway 73/First Street and on West Highway 36

Business incentives may incorporate the Brown County Neighborhood Revitalization Program; the State of Kansas business and industry incentives for qualifying businesses; and local incentives negotiated on a case-by-case basis with prospective businesses.

 

For more information, please contact:

 

Economic Development Administrator

City of Hiawatha

701 Oregon St.

Hiawatha, Kansas 66434

Phone: 785-742-7417 Fax: 785-742-2880

Email: ecodevo@cityofhiawatha.org