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GW Weld grew up riding his bike and playing in vibrant downtown Eudora. He’s been inspired to bring back the original charm ever since.
Weld missed the days of every building on Main Street being occupied like it was when he was kid, with a grocery store, a hardware store and restaurants. He took it upon himself to help get it back to its full potential.
He bought a building to house the offices for his company Cornerstone Property Management at 707 Main St. He restored some of its historic charm and saw the support from the community right away.
When Weld married his wife, Kathy, about 10 years ago, she expressed a need for a place in Eudora to meet people, without having to go to Lawrence. Shortly after, they bought the building that now houses Zeb’s Coffeehouse at 724 Main St. in hopes of creating that space in town.
“Every time we did something downtown, we just noticed, ‘Man the community really appreciates it, is behind it, and is supportive,” Weld said.
Weld has taken on a new project in Atchison, Kansas, in hopes of restoring historic charm and providing affordable housing to the area as well.
He reflects on his passion to help small downtowns in Kansas and the latest status of his projects in Eudora and Atchison.
Making downtown a destination
When he was 16, he got his first introduction into real estate, and he hasn’t looked back since. Weld asked someone from his church to be a reference, and instead was offered a job at his construction company. The company owned rental properties and gave Weld his first experience with a newfound passion, and he ended up staying for 10 years. Weld credits this job for teaching him about real estate and ultimately led to him buying, flipping and renting homes in the area.
“I just really found that I loved taking something that was not livable or was not attractive and giving it new life and bringing somebody in that could enjoy it to be their home,” Weld said.
Weld said by helping renovate downtown and bringing in new life, he hopes other people will be encouraged to do the same.
“It’s just kind of my heart to see our downtown be a place that is vibrant again. Younger generations are starting to value downtowns again, and that it is kind of a destination place,” Weld said.
“As much as some people probably think I want to own everything in downtown Eudora, I don’t,” he said. “I just want to show people what we can do, what we can accomplish.”
Weld is in the process of renovating the old Methodist church to turn it into an event venue. The space has been approved for a use permit and architects are working on plans. The project should go to bid in the next couple of months, with renovations starting in the spring, Weld said. The venue should become available for use at the beginning of 2025.
Weld has also been working to move forward with new affordable housing behind the elementary school. The land at 2260 N. 1400 Road will likely be townhomes or apartment-style housing, Weld said.
A meeting with the city will tell Weld more about what option is the best for the city’s needs, but he hopes some of the properties will be available for purchase. The land is about 9 acres and has the opportunity for multiple phases with different options.
Weld hopes the project can provide a new option for people looking for starter homes in the area, since it is unaffordable to buy houses for many people right now.
Weld also noted there may be more plans in the pipeline, but he is not ready to make any of it public yet.
Restoring rural Kansas
Weld never planned to expand to other historic towns in Kansas, but as his passion has grown he has seen the need for it. Eudora only has so many historic properties, and he wants to give others the chance, too.
“I think I’m a little naturally inclined to it because to me, there’s something special about something that’s been there for a really long time,” he said.
Weld owns properties in De Soto and Lawrence and also has done rehabs in a lot of towns surrounding Eudora. He has only worked on historic preservation projects in Eudora and Atchison so far, but plans to get involved in surrounding communities.
Weld said the city of Atchison reached out to him about a year ago when they heard about his historic preservation work in Eudora. The building involved hit three of Weld’s priorities: historic preservation, economic development for small community’s downtown and creating affordable housing. Weld saw the building’s potential and decided to move forward with its purchase in 2022.
“There’s really three things that are kind of my passions, and this building really hits all of them,” Weld said. “One is historic preservation. Saving things that have been around for a long time and have stories, history and people have cared about them.”
The building at 733 Commercial St. is going to get a new coat of paint, new windows and a more cohesive look as soon as spring, as part of the first phase of the project. Weld said the project will open up for bids in the next couple of months. Phase two will be renovating the upstairs and adding 10 to 12 apartments beginning around 2025.
The first floor is home to a spa, a boutique and the third location of Eudora-founded Twill Trade. Another unit will be open for a renter after exterior renovations are complete.
“That was really cool that I was able to work with a local Eudora person, a friend and neighbor and help them expand their business and it’s actually making an impact there in Atchison,” Weld said.
Twill Trade owner Elizabeth Knispel was excited to expand to a city with a historic background, especially with her neighbor as the building’s owner. Knsipel said her passion for preserving rural downtowns is similar to Weld’s.
“Main streets in rural towns are very important to the cities,” Knispel said. “I think they’re a heartbeat in the town, and you can see that in Atchison in how it’s changing and developing with the new growth and business.”
The building was approved for a commercial development block grant through the Kansas Department of Commerce. This is a tool Weld said he has also utilized in downtown Eudora and will help move the project forward.
Justin Pregont, an independent real estate developer and former interim city manager, was introduced to Weld while he was working at the city. After making him aware of the property, Weld decided to make an offer. Pregont remains a consultant for the city for economic development purposes.
Weld and Pregont have a lot in common, he said. They both are working to take old buildings and revitalize them to produce high-functioning downtowns, especially in rural communities, Pregont said.
“So many of these buildings have been allowed to depreciate and deteriorate over a period of 100 plus years. They just haven’t ever had a substantial reinvestment happen,” Pregont said.
Weld is a resourceful and creative developer who knows how to utilize incentive and assistance programs like commerce development block grants, Pregont said. Rural downtown historic real estate is not easy, and it is rare to find someone who is willing to take on these projects, and Pregont is impressed with Weld for doing so.
Weld doesn’t see an end coming to his passion for restoring historic buildings anytime soon.
“I definitely feel like, at this point, historic preservation is something that is going to be a part of my future for the foreseeable future,” Weld said.
Reach reporter Sara Maloney at [email protected]
