[Electronic-lan] meeting with 23rd St. developer
Melinda
melin at sunflower.com
Fri Mar 1 18:26:39 CST 2019
FYI:
Since Rita and Patrick are not members of this email list, anything they
try to post to this list will automatically bounce. Gary: you should let
them know to respond to you and you will share their responses to this list.
Thanks.
...Melin
On 3/1/2019 3:38 PM, Gary Webber via Electronic-lan wrote:
> Dear LAN listserve members,
> I thought I would reply to Rob's question (below) to the list as a way
> to report on the meeting. Four community members met with Patrick
> Watkins and two OPUS group project members, Rita D'Agostino and Gary
> Schuberth. I am copying the OPUS Group representatives on this email.
> I encourage them to reply to this listserve to correct me if my
> analysis is anywhere in error.
> They introduced the project and described the facility:
>
> 1. 300 bed, 3 story apartment with retail on ground level north side
> 2. mix of studio, 1, and 2-bedroom apartments, mostly 2-bedroom
> 3. retail parking east of building
> 4. Retaining wall on the west boundary, lot slopped slightly down to
> the east
> 5. 176 gated tenant parking spaces south of the building, first-come,
> first-served distribution
> 6. hike/bike "oasis' on southeast corner of lot
> 7. Pool in the courtyard in the center of the u-shaped building
> 8. rain garden on east side of lot to help mitigate runoff
> 9. $ budgeted to improve nearby bus stop on Naismith
> 10. green space north of the building, width of the lot and
> approximately 30 feet wide.
> 11. patio with seating outside of retail spaces
> 12. No development incentives were requested from the city
> 13. First development to use SMART code
> 14. intended to attract student tenants
>
> City staff worked with them to understand and follow the SMART code,
> they praised the staff support. The reduced number of parking spaces
> is allowable under the SMART code. They were aware of current
> apartment market in Lawrence, and believed they would find tenants for
> their apartments. The described the apartments as "market priced",
> meaning neither affordable nor luxury housing, but somewhere between.
> They hope to attract a restaurant as part of the retail mix. They
> were obviously excited about the project, their company's first in
> Lawrence.
>
> My thoughts: I liked the design of the building, it reflects many of
> the priorities of the SMART code, including green space,parking beside
> and behind the building rather than on 23rd, support for active
> transportation, higher density infill, and ecological sensitivity. I
> am somewhat concerned about the limited parking, but agree with them
> that bus, walking, and biking access to campus is excellent and should
> help reduce the number of cars. The project does not address one
> priority of the SMART code; it does not provide any affordable
> housing. I am impressed with this group. They seem to share our city's
> vision for future development based on Plan 2040. They will present
> the project to the City Commission for a vote on next Tuesday, March 5.
>
> On a related note, the LiveWell Healthy Built Environments workgroup
> and other groups have been urging the city to build a 10 ft. multi-use
> path along Naismith from 19th to 23rd, creating a continuous 10 ft.
> path from campus to the Lawrence Loop south of 31st. This
> redevelopment project would greatly benefit from this low stress, off
> road path to campus.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Gary Webber
>
>
> On 3/1/2019 11:50 AM, Robert Sands wrote:
>> How did the meeting go? I wanted to be there but Wednesday evening
>> was pretty busy for me. Thanks in advance.
>>
>> On Sun, Feb 24, 2019 at 7:18 PM Gary Webber via Electronic-lan
>> <electronic-lan at lists.ku.edu <mailto: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
>> <https://livewelllawrence.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d8f1d62c09b5db34590f34b0a&id=edbfbe29f1&e=2b79d39a08>
>> is representing The OPUS Group
>> <https://livewelllawrence.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d8f1d62c09b5db34590f34b0a&id=8334a0e2a2&e=2b79d39a08>,
>> 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.
>> <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.ljworld.com%2Fweblogs%2Ftown_talk%2F2019%2Fjan%2F25%2Fmultistory-apartment-and-retail-building-planned-for-23rd-street-shopping-center-to-be-razed%2F&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C15b63d1c6763487126c008d69ea5a6c4%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C636870831639713659&sdata=CQc8A6mNJEt3UGIkNw1sTGRklEA0MrrZyuVO2lyQxXY%3D&reserved=0>
>> 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 <mailto:Electronic-lan at lists.ku.edu>
>> https://lists.ku.edu/listinfo/electronic-lan
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Rob Sands
>> C 913-707-3953
>> robert.c.sands at gmail.com <mailto:robert.c.sands at gmail.com>
>
>
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