Went to my niece’s wedding over the weekend. The service was in Junction City and the reception in Manhattan. I don’t think you can drive two miles in either of those cities without seeing new construction. A lot of it is residential, in part because of the anticipated return of more troops to Fort Riley (there also appears to be a lot of construction on base, too.) But there also is a lot of retail and commercial, including a mixed-use development planned near the Manhattan mall.
Some locals think developers may have overbuilt on the residential side. Earlier media reports said that returning base personnel found the new housing too expensive. Still, both towns are really hopping.
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Despite the construction, things may not be as rosy in Manhattan as first glance might suggest.
Many blame the anticipated return of more troops to Fort Riley for the March elimination of 61 positions and the closure of two programs at Mercy Regional Health Center in Manhattan.
Why? Those swell of troops, anticipated for several years now, has just not happened yet and businesses that invested lots of money to beef up services and employees are now facing tough decisions about sustaining that growth.