by: Matthew Self
Posted: Feb 1, 2025 / 09:14 AM CST
ALMA (KSNT) – A local real estate and construction management company is helping breathe new life into some historic buildings in small-town northeast Kansas.
27 News spoke with Tyler Holloman with Frontier Development Group (FDG) about his company’s work to restore some old structures in Alma. The Manhattan-based company recently wrapped up work on the historic Brandt House and is now turning its attention to one of its previous projects for some final touches.
Holloman said his company’s work to restore the two-story Limerick building was its first venture into rural development after acquiring the structure in 2020. The renovated historic building has also proven to be a big hit with locals who have taken up residence there, enjoying the modern apartments within.
“We’ve been full there since we opened with a waitlist,” Holloman said. “It’s been a great project and one that opened our eyes to the need for housing.”
The Limerick is part of Alma’s Downtown Historic District which runs from Second Street to Fifth Street on Missouri Street in the town, according to the Kansas Historical Society (KSHS). The National Park Service (NPS) placed this area on its National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 2009 for its local importance.
The NPS recognizes the Limerick as having historic value due to the Romanesque-style used in its construction, according to its listing in the NRHP. The structure was built around 1888 out of native stone by the brothers J.F. and R.J. Limerick, Irish immigrants, who were behind a brief construction boom in the late 1880s in Alma.
Holloman said the FDG renovated the second floor of the Limerick and remodeled the Antique Emporium of Alma on the first floor. The second floor is home to a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartment units that contain modern amenities.
“This year, we are finishing the first floor renovations,” Holloman said. “That will be renovated into two additional workforce housing units.”
Holloman said the biggest challenge so far with the Limerick has been navigating extra costs that came with the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Maintaining the historical value of the structure also lengthened the renovation process.
“We knew going into it that it takes a little extra work and a little extra time to make sure that we do all that correctly,” Holloman said.
The FDG will return to complete work on the remaining two living units in the Limerick which will bring an end to the overall project. Holloman said some of this will also include work on the exterior and façade of the building.
“It was really rewarding to hear the positive feedback from the community and the people who toured it,” Holloman said. “To be able to provide that level of finish and amenity for downtown Alma was really rewarding.”
The Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) provided the renovation work at the Limerick with a moderate income housing grant. Holloman said the FDG worked with the NPS to approve a rehabilitation plan for the building and made use of tax credits to ease the burden of costs.
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Source: https://www.ksnt.com/news/local-news/historic-downtown-alma-gets-major-makeover/
