[Electronic-lan] meeting with 23rd St. developer

Mon Feb 25 11:23:00 CST 2019

Carol and all -
I agree that, in an ideal world, Lawrence would be smart enough to direct development to those places where development would best serve the needs of Lawrence.  These places could identify where redevelopment could best stabilize deteriorated neighborhoods and infill underutilized parcels.  The reality of development is that developers will take the path of least resistance and the city is not very assertive in planning for its own growth.  
The new student housing is not more affordable. It is much more expensive because many student are much richer that students in the past.  Such developments can bring new infill properties to downtown which can help revitalize the downtown.  However, the City needs to be careful to not overbuild apartments because older properties will be left with too little demand which leads to poor maintenance practices and deterioration.  It is important to remember that every development has some impact upon every other development.  If the City is careful, it can guide the pace of development and the location of development so that we maximize the benefits and minimize the problems.  Good planning is required to accomplish these goals; the developers will not do it on their own.
All the best,Kirk

Kirk and Jeannie McClure707 Tennessee StreetLawrence, Kansas 66044.2369785.842.8968mcclurefamily at sbcglobal.net

    On Monday, February 25, 2019, 9:50:49 AM CST, Carol Bowen <carolb at sunflower.com> wrote:  

 LAN should recommend locations based on LAN criteria rather than debating each proposal that sufaces. What kind of development does LAN support? What locations?
Has LAN discussed housing for seniors? Is it available, affordable, accessible? The population growth rate of seniors is almost as high as the population growth of young adults. Why are we expanding housing for students?

Kirk, I'm guessing that newer student apartments are becoming more affordable. What about the old housing stock that was filled with students. How does that fall into the mix?  
On the 23rd Street project. While, it's a little concerning that the rental units target the student population, the design is multiuse, redevelops an aged commercial site,  attempts to address infill goals, and pushes the envelope on pedestrian and cyclist accommodation. The project would have minimal impact on neighborhoods. Personally, I'd like to see a concept plan for the entire street. It would be a relief for the neighborhoods. 

~ Carol
On Feb 25, 2019, at 8:52 AM, Kirk and Jeannie McClure via Electronic-lan <electronic-lan at lists.ku.edu> wrote:

Gary and the LAN group -
I am sorry that I am too busy with University budget problems to be as involved with LAN issues as I would like to be.
Let me suggest a very important issue that needs to be addressed with this redevelopment.
KU's population is not growing.  It is flat, and an increasing number of our students are commuting from the Kansas City area.  Thus, the resident student rental population is growing smaller, not larger.  Given the demographics of the State of Kansas, it is very likely that the total enrollment at KU will go down marginally in the future.  If the student rental population is flat or growing smaller and if Foxtail builds for 300 students, then it is likely that the new space will be filled, not with new growth in demand, but by taking students away from existing rental properties in the community.  The planning question for the community is, which properties will lose the 300 students and will those losses cause a loss in value, a loss in maintenance and a deterioration in condition?
In general, Lawrence should seek to have its housing stock grow in close correspondence with the the growth of its households.  If the stock grows too fast, older properties suffer, lose value, and neighborhoods deteriorate.  If the stock grows too slowly, households cannot find the housing that they need when the need to move and prices are pushed up.  
Right now, the housing market in Lawrence is pretty well balanced.  The vacancy rate among owner-occupied homes if 1.9% with is very close to the ideal of 2.0%.  The vacancy rate among renter-occupied units is 6.5% with is within the desired range of 5% to 7%.  
So we have a problem.  We would like to see new growth that expands the stock by replacing older properties with new properties, but the pace of growth is critical.  The City stumbled a few years ago by subsidizing the HERE project when the project was not needed and the subsidy was not necessary.  We have a proposal for a similar project at 11th and Massachusetts.  It is doubtful that the market can absorb both projects.  It is doubtful that subsidy will be sought for the project on 23rd Street, but it is being sought for the downtown project.  Will the City be smart enough to pace the growth in units to match the growth in rental households?  The City has not shown this discipline in the past.  Will the City be smart enough to only provide subsidy where it is critically needed?  The City has not shown this discipline in the past.
Foxtail will tell us that their project is critically needed.  It is not. The downtown project will tell us that their project is critical to restoring the downtown.  It could be helpful, but it is not critical.  The scale suggested for the downtown project is too large and the subsidy costs to the taxpayers are too great.
It will take skillful planning to figure out how to deal with both of these projects (and any others that show up within the next few years), to keep the pace of growth within a supportable range, and protect the long-term interests of the taxpayers.
I hope that this helps.
All the best,Kirk

Kirk and Jeannie McClure707 Tennessee StreetLawrence, Kansas 66044.2369785.842.8968mcclurefamily at sbcglobal.net

    On Sunday, February 24, 2019, 7:18:31 PM CST, Gary Webber via Electronic-lan <electronic-lan at lists.ku.edu> wrote:  

   Dear LAN listserve members,
 The group behind a  mixed-use apartment/retail development on 23rd Street just west of Natural Grocers has reached out to us and would like to help us understand their project and give us a chance to comment. Patrick Watkins with Foxtail Real Estate is representing The OPUS Group, a Minneapolis development group..  He is hopeful that one or two of the project managers will attend, but if not he will lead the meeting.  The OPUS Group is headquartered in Minneapolis, but also has an office in Kansas City.  Here is a Town Talk article about the project. Here is Patrick's introduction of the project:

 We have introduced a mixed-use student housing project just to the west of Natural Grocers near the 23rd and Naismith intersection.  The building will have around 300 beds and over 8,000 square feet of new retail space, along with a range of amenities for the residents and patrons.  It's the first development project to utilize the City's Smart Code, which emphasizes mixed uses, integration with multi-modal transportation, and a more traditional neighborhood design.  With the bus stop, trail system, and evolving 23rd Street Corridor, we think this alternate code makes for a nice fit on this property.  We think this project will make a meaningful contribution to having a physically active demographic along this corridor - and would certainly appreciate your support.

 This is the first time that the City has used its SMART code for a development project. We will meet with Patrick at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 27, in Meeting Room A of the Public Library. I hope you will be able to attend!
 Best,
 Gary Webber
 LAN Secretary
 _______________________________________________
Electronic-lan mailing list
Electronic-lan at lists.ku.edu
https://lists.ku.edu/listinfo/electronic-lan

_______________________________________________
Electronic-lan mailing list
Electronic-lan at lists.ku.edu
https://lists.ku.edu/listinfo/electronic-lan

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.ku.edu/pipermail/electronic-lan/attachments/20190225/16cb8e59/attachment-0001.html>