Locations near interstate key to some businesses

By JOSEPH GALANTE

Hays Daily News

Two years ago, Doerfler's Harley-Davidson had outgrown its south Vine Street building and was looking to move.

Corporate had one suggestion: relocate near the interstate.

The motorcycle and clothing retailer moved its 20 employees and hundreds of thousands of dollars of assets 2 miles north.

Two years later, it couldn't be happier with its location.

“The move has definitely paid off,” said Shannon Dechant, an associate at Doerfler's Harley Davidson, 1100 E. 43rd St. “It's very easy for our interstate travelers to hop off, grab a T-shirt and get back on the road. I think our customers appreciate it. We enjoy it better out here and we definitely have more space.”

Stores such as Doerfler's have been jostling for position near I-70 for the last few years. The roaring interstate that was once feared by entrepreneurial Hays business owners has now become a hotbed of big-box and pop-up retail.

“I-70 was a barrier at one point,” said Mendi Alexander, office manager of the Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development. “Infrastructure wasn't out there at that point, which was the immediate barrier.”

But now water and sewer lines extending north of the interstate have allowed many businesses to tap the 14,000 cars that pass Hays daily during peak travel times of the year.

For travelers, pulling off the interstate and having a variety of restaurants, hotels and stores to choose from is attractive.

“I see so many people walking across 43rd Street from Fairfield Inn in the morning to Wal-Mart just because it's so close,” Alexander said. “They walk to Golden Corral for breakfast or to the different retail because they don't have to drive. It's within walking distance.”

The interstate that clips Hays on its east/west route between Denver and Kansas City is the envy of other small towns with flailing economies. Annually, I-70 brings in millions of dollars to Hays. It's role in Ellis County's growing retail pull factor cannot be ignored.

“It's critical,” said Michael Michaelis, director of the Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development. “People get on the interstate and they can drive here easily from western Kansas.”

The city doesn't keep track of money spent by commuters who stop in Hays for gas or meals. They do keep track of overnight travelers, though.

In 2004, visitors who stopped in Hays overnight brought hotels $11 million and the city $440,000 in transient guest tax.

The demand for development on both sides of the interstate has been growing since the mid-1990s. In response to developer demand, the city extended water and sewer lines north of the interstate over the past decade. Officials said the growth of the past 10 years is only the tip of the iceberg.

“Once those roadways go in and the infrastructure goes in then it's going to be prime,” said John Braun, assistant director of public works. “I think we'll have that explosion of retail up there especially with the Home Depot anchor.”

Dozens of businesses have already got a head start on the future businesses that will soon be vying for the expensive land lining the interstate.

Meanwhile, Doerfler's Harley Davidson is gearing up for its busy summer months. During this time, it estimates half of its daily customers coast in off the interstate.

“During the riding seasons we're looking at anywhere between 300 and 500 customers a day,” Dechant said. “It wasn't as convenient for people to get off the interstate and drive down Vine Street. Now we're more accessible and everyone benefits from it.”

Reporter Joseph Galante can be reached at (785) 628-1081, ext. 139, or by e-mail at

jgalante@dailynews.net.