The historic SRCA Dragstrip facility overhaul was officially completed in May 2026. The $5.9 million project was the most significant investment in the history of the track and reflects the City of Great Bend’s commitment to supporting recreation, tourism, economic growth, and quality-of-life amenities.

The old track surface was demolished and rebuilt with pavement installed by slip-form paving by Emery Sapp & Sons. Bartlett & West designed and constructed the project, and Total Value Concepts completed the final track texturing, resulting in one of the flattest drag racing surfaces in the nation.

The project also included construction of a two-story timing tower and installation of a new timing system. The timing tower was designed to modernize race options, enhance timing capabilities, improve race management and increase media visibility.

Cost breakdown
• $3,282,064 lawsuit money remaining
• $495,000 APRA (American Rescue Plan Act) money
• $663,936 SPARKS (Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas) money
• $161,500 leftover monies from Loft Grant
• $122,367 dragstrip maintenance money transfers
• $480,538 year-end transfers

A $361,260 undertaking, renovations to Heizer Park were completed in the fall of 2025, upgrading the park with new bathrooms, signage, netting behind the soccer goals, and a Musco mini pitch, along with a shade structure provided by the Kiwanis Club and improved lighting. This project was made possible through a grant from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Outdoors, the generosity of local organizations, and city contributions through its quality-of-life sales tax.

Bark Park

Improvements to the Bark Park worth $10,952 were funded through the quality-of-life sales tax. The project created separate areas for large and small dogs and included a watering station. Over 384 feet of 4-inch chain link fence was installed along with a slab of concrete.

Langrehr Bathrooms

New bathrooms were built at Landrehr Park through the quality-of-life sales tax. This project costed $110,918 and included two single restrooms, a four-gallon water heater, electric hand dryers, ADA drinking fountain, interior and exterior lights, and a timed electric lock system.

Skate Park Replacement

In 2023, $114,201 of the quality-of-life sales tax dollars went to resurfacing the Brit Spaugh Skate Park for the first time since the late 1990s. 

Veterans Memorial Park Lighting

Twenty light poles were installed along the Veteran's Memorial Park trail in 2023 to enhance safety for early morning and late evening walkers. This project costed $66,060 and was funded through the quality-of-life sales tax. 

Collects began in July 2018 from a ¼ cent sales tax allocated for street replacement, maintenance, and repairs. The City of Great Bend has invested $1.2 million in its streets since 2021.

In 2025, JEO Consulting Group drove every block of Great Bend to complete the Pavement Management Plan and rated Great Bend’s streets a 77.7 on a scale of 1-100, a respectable number as a rating of 85 is considered very good. Great Bend’s roads rank above Dodge City’s 69.9 rating in 2017 and Topeka’s 64 rating in 2022.

One of Great Bend’s most valuable resources, the total 121 miles of paved public streets has an estimated value of $374 million in pavement.