The Emporia City Commission approved a six-month deadline extension for the Gazette building CDBG project, located at 517 Merchant Street, during its Wednesday morning meeting. The new completion deadline will be February 28, 2026.

The Gazette building, the historic home of the Emporia Gazette, was sold to Rick and Colleen Mitchell of Mitchell and Markowitz Construction in 2022. Tayler Wash, Assistant City Manager, stated that the extension is due to supply chain delays impacting the delivery and construction of a fire sprinkler system.

The first floor and basement are set to be developed into an event space, restaurant space, offices, an artist studio, and short term rentals. The second floor will be converted into residential units. The Mitchells also plan to repair the building, updat

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