Shawnee County Commissioners Aaron Mays, Kevin Cook and Bill Riphahn unanimously approved the construction of cabins at the Lake Shawnee campgrounds during a Aug. 25 county commissioners meeting.
Mays said the project is exciting to see coming to life.
“This is fantastic. I know we had talked about this a long time ago and weren’t 100% sure what we were going to put there,” Mays said. “We knew we wanted cabins but we didn’t have the money for it so this is great. Good to see it happening.”
Jessica Rakestraw, deputy director for Shawnee County Parks and Rec, said the site had been previously set for cabins to be placed there as the site is leveled for them.
What will the cabins include?
The two new cabins will be 800 square feet with two bedrooms, one bathroom and a small kitchen. They’ll also include a small deck that will be water-facing. The cabins will be placed on the northwest corner of the campground, said Rakestraw.
A date has not been set for when construction for the cabins will begin on site, but both are anticipated to be complete by the end of next year.
“We would like to get going as soon as we can, but there’s a couple steps that need to happen before we’re able to put it out for bid,” Rakestraw told The Capital-Journal. “Hopefully as soon as possible. Hopefully by spring, we can get them going, that would be our goal.”
How are the cabins being funded?
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks awarded the Shawnee County Parks and Recreation department $148,989.50 for the project through its Wildlife and Parks Land and Water Conservation Fund program. Shawnee County commissioners approved the grant application Sep. 12, 2024.
The funding will be available through July 28, 2028, and it is a 50/50 grant.
Shawnee County Parks and Rec will match funds for the $297,979 project through its Campground Revolving Fund, a user fee-funded income.
