Construction continues on the 50-room El Quartelejo Inn and Suites in Scott City. The motel is part of the construction boom currently sweeping the western Kansas town.

SCOTT CITY ? Larry Hoeme drove his Ford pickup along Main Street pointing out new construction in his town.

On a recent afternoon, dirt was moving, new structures rising and things were booming on the south side of town.

“Scott County is bucking the trends,” said Hoeme, a Scott County Commissioner, pulling the pickup beside a mountain of dirt near the El Quartelejo Inn and Suites, the newest motel in town. “We’re excited about what’s going on.”

State and national trends show a picture of a dying rural America, where businesses board up storefronts and the population continually shrinks.

That’s not the case in this town of 3,640 people.

Instead, along with the motel, two other businesses have been created on the south side of town in the past year.

Pamida, a chain department store found in 16 states, opened in March. Kough Body Shop will offer auto repair and sell used vehicles.

“There are 25 new jobs there,” Hoeme said, pointing at Pamida. “One of our biggest problems now is finding people to fill the jobs.”

The buildings have been developed on what was once farm ground.

It’s been more than 10 years since Kansas passed the Neighborhood Revitalization Act, and towns across the state have jumped on board to improve blighted areas through property tax rebates.

After several years of planning, the county implemented the program in 2007, Scott County clerk Pam Faurot said.

The motel was something the town had needed for a long time, said Ron Eaton, a retired farmer, who developed the idea. With business partner Richard Spencer they conducted a feasibility study and secured a Best Western franchise.

The 50-room facility will have an indoor swimming pool, wireless Internet and offer continental breakfasts.

El Quartelejo, or living quarters in Spanish, is the same name as the local museum and originated from the Pueblo ruins near Lake Scott State Park.

The museum is also growing with seed money for a 4,000 square-foot Jerry Thomas Art Gallery.

Eaton said he hoped the motel would be a destination site that ties together the gallery and the outdoor archaeological exhibit north of town.

A streetscape grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation is designed to bring a unified theme to U.S. 83, which doubles as Scott City’s Main Street.

The air is filled with excitement, Hoeme said, and he attributes that – along with the progress – to a strong community spirit.

“This is a positive community, and it spills over,” Hoeme said.

Not all the construction in this town comes under the Neighborhood Revitalization plan. There’s the Scott County Library, which is about to begin a 7,300-square-foot expansion project paid through a 3-year fundraising effort and a tax credit grant from the Scott Community Foundation.

And the Scott County airport is slated for a new concrete runway, which is needed to replace the crumbling asphalt strip that lines the county airfield – a project largely funded through the Federal Aviation Commission.

As Hoeme drives along, he points to St. Joseph Church, which also has caught the building fever. Recently, the church broke ground for a new parish center.