Aberdeen residents visit Pittsburg

The partnership between the City of Pittsburg, Pittsburg State University, and the Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce has led to major community development, drawing interest from Aberdeen, South Dakota (pop. 28,000), and Northern State University (student pop. 3,700).

Leaders from various Aberdeen organizations took a 12-hour bus ride to Pittsburg. They met our local leaders and toured city developments.

Our visitors were especially interested in how Pittsburg drove substantial economic development. They wanted to know how the entities worked together to revitalize downtown through collaborative community efforts, the creation of the Plaster Center and subsequent campus developments, and the new opportunities provided by the Southeast Kansas Career and Technical Education Center.

The visit was made possible thanks to a grant they received to improve their economic development efforts. They completed a nationwide search and selected Pittsburg as the city they would visit, intending to take many elements of our approach back with them to accelerate their growth.

“We’re honored that the City of Aberdeen chose Pittsburg as a model to learn from,” City Manager Daron Hall said. “Although they were here to learn about our community, it was exciting to hear about their city, developments, and economic plans.”