One of the biggest stories in Anderson County this past year involved economic development. Developers spent most of the summer of 2022 demolishing two cornerstone businesses at the intersection of Park Road and Maple Street in Garnett in preparation for new construction that will drastically alter the looks of North Maple Street. Anderson County Sales Company, on the southeast corner, was purchased by Leizler Oil of Emporia, as a location for a new convenience store, and the former Garnett Foods Cheese Factory on the northeast corner became the subject of a tax increment financing, or TIF project for Guffey Properties to eventually house a Family Dollar/Dollar Tree retail store.
Besides offering new economic activity and traffic development in the vicinity, the replacement of the two old structures with new construction will no doubt provide a cleaner, more professional looking retail area for decades to come.
