City Announces Lease Agreement with DCF

Following well over a year of planning, design, and negotiation, the City of Atchison has signed a long term lease with the State of Kansas’ Department of Children and Families (DCF) to occupy 11,000 square feet of the ground floor at the Atchison Event Center. A construction project to meet the desired tenant finishes has already begun and will be completed prior to January 1 of 2020, when the lease with DCF begins.

The lease represents a shift in strategy for the Atchison Event Center facility. The revenue produced through the lease is expected to reduce the operating loss at the Atchison Event Center by about $50,000 per year while maintaining the unique value of the facility, which is the Riverbend Ballroom and its capacity for large (500+) person events.

The lease agreement and construction contract were approved by the City Commission on May 20, 2019. Herner Construction out of St. Joseph, MO bested six other bidders to win the construction contract.