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05/26/2026

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS
INVITATION TO BID
POSPISHIL BUILDING
101 N. Main Street
LURAY, KANSAS

Detail of work:
Remove the collapsed roof debris from the second floor, and remove the rest of the compromised parts of the roof. A large 30 yard dumpster will be needed on site for debris removal.

Construct a wall that spans across the second floor from North to South that goes from floor to ceiling and sheet it with plywood. This wall will help secure the outer block walls from bowing out and support the edge of the damaged roof as the new one is installed.

Lay down plywood decking over the rotted flooring on the second floor

Secure the crumbling sections of masonry wall above the roofline.

Rebuild the missing section of roofing and prepare the roof for the new roofing system.
Install a new roof

Install large commercial seamless guttering and downspouts on the back of the building.

Bids will be received by the Luray Community Foundation, 400 N. Fairview Avenue, Luray, Kansas 67649 until 4 pm on June 1, 2026 for the work noted above according to plans approved by the Kansas State Historic Preservation Office. This structure is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. All work must comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards of Rehabilitation.
Sealed bids will be publicly opened at 5:00 pm on June 1, 2026 at the Luray Activity Center, 400 N. Fairview, Luray, Kansas.
All inquiries about this invitation to Bid and requests for copies of the full scope of work/ plans may be directed to Charma Craven, 19480 Beatty Lane, Luray, KS 67649, 785-324-0837. Bids will be received on a total bid price basis and must included a sum to cover the cost of all items of the contract, including insurance, materials, and performance bonds.
Proposals received after the date and time indicated above for opening will be considered late, and therefore will not be considered for award. The Bid will be awarded based on cost and performance; to the Bidder who, in the Owner’s judgment, is the lowest, most qualified, responsible and responsive Bidder. Owner reserves the right to reject any and all Bids and to reject the Bid of any Bidder if the Owner believes it would not be in the best interest of Owner to make an award to that Bidder. The successful Bidder must deliver to the Owner certificates of insurance, performance, and materials payment bonds as security for faithful performance and the payment of all bills and obligations arising from the contract. The successful firm will be required to comply with all applicable laws and statutory regulations. No bidder will be any way, directly or indirectly, discriminate against any person because of age, race, color, handicap, s*x, national origin or religious creed.
This project is partially supported by the Heritage Trust Fund grant program from the Kansas State Historical Society.

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05/03/2026

Looking for the program entitled, “Our Town Album”, presented by the Luray Harmony Club on March 6, 1969, at the Luray High School.

05/02/2026

Looking for an old photo of the front of the Pospishil Building. All the old, old photos have trees or cars or are dark in the front. This is the best I can come up with for the restoration.

05/01/2026

Good news today! We have received another grant which will be used to reconstruct the interior, electrical, plumbing, heating and an apartment or two upstairs. With the Heritage Grant for the roof and the KS Dept. of Commerce grant for the interior, work may begin earlier than this summer. We're hoping for the end of May! SO with those two grants, we are going to get this building put in service on Main Street.

05/01/2026

To clarify questions about donations when the Senior Center owned the Pospishil building. Any money donated to them was used for their roof. Any money left over stayed with the Senior Center to buy the building they are in now. They only gave us the building, we started with nothing. We did receive $2000 from local people and that is earmarked for the building.

04/20/2026

Calling all Kansas photographers, we are currently accepting photo submission for the 2027 calendar. All details can be found in the link below.

03/20/2026

WE RECEIVED WORD FROM THE KANSAS HERITAGE TRUST FUND THAT THERE WERE 54 BUILDINGS GROUPS HAD APPLIED FOR THIS FUNDING AND OF THESE, 13 SITES WERE AWARDED. WE HAVE BEEN AWARDED THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT POSSIBLE FOR ANY ENTITY. WE WILL USE IT FOR THE FIRST PHASE.
THE PRESERVATION OF THE BUILDING WILL BE IN PHASES:
1. THE FIRST PHASE IS TO PUT A ROOF ON AND STABILIZE THE WALLS.
2. THE SECOND PHASE IS TO DO LOWER LEVEL INTERIOR WORK TO CREATE A SPACE FOR ART STUDENTS AND OTHER ARTISTS TO DISPLAY THEIR WORK AS WELL AS A COFFEE BAR FOR GUESTS. WE ALSO PLAN TO PUT AN ART STUDIO WITH APARTMENTS FOR GUEST ARTISTS ON THE SECOND LEVEL.
3. DEPENDING ON A GRANT WE HAVE APPLIED FOR, EXTERIOR WORK ON THE STONE AND THE MESKERS METAL FACADE COULD ALSO GO ON DURING THIS PHASE.
4. EXTERIOR WORK INCLUDING REBUILDING WINDOWS WOULD BE PART OF A THIRD OR FOURTH PHASE.
THE POSPISHIL BUILDING WAS BUILT IN 1899 BY FRANK POSPISHIL, A CZECH WHOSE LAST NAME MEANS ‘IN A HURRY’. HE WAS A MUSICIAN AND BUSINESSMAN WITH A VISION FOR LURAY. SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER THE BUILDING THAT WAS CONNECTED ON THE NORTH WHICH WAS IDENTICAL BUT WAS ONLY ONE STORY BECAUSE HE RAN OUT OF MONEY TO BUILD ANOTHER TWO STORY. HE ALSO BUILT ANOTHER LIMESTONE BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET AND OWNED THE LOTS HE SOLD TO THE FARMERS STATE BANK WHERE THE BANK BUILDING STANDS NEXT TO THE FIRE STATION.

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03/06/2026

Good news today! We are being awarded the 2026 Heritage Trust Fund Grant for the Pospishil Building. Thirteen sites out of a total of 54 applications were chosen. This will be used for a new roof which is the first phase of the restoration of the Pospishil.

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01/30/2026

Happy Kansas Day, January 29

HAPPY KANSAS DAY, January 29

01/03/2026

Luray Herold, Dec. 30, 1904