CAMPUS AND AREA
University Daily Kansan, April 17, 1984
Page 8
Downtown
continued from p.1
contracts could take two years.
Gould said that Town Center officials were preparing information about the project for potential department stores, and that only five would be allowed to store in each place stores in a market the size of Lawrence.
"IT'S A MATTER OF timing to approach those department stores at the right time. It's a long process and sometimes it takes a few years," he said.
Gould also said that the city could not get federal funds for the project until Town Center was completed.
Dean Palos, a city-county planner who has worked extensively on downtown development, said, "What we're working against is the clock." The biggest problem in keeping this project going.
"The City Commission needs to continue pursuing this actively."
The city staff is now preparing an application for the part of the project's financing that would come from the federal government, an Urban Development Goodwill, director of community development.
The application for the grant would be for about $10 million, according to figures released recently by the city staff, and would finance parking and costs to buy land for the city.
THE APPLICATION MUST include information about land acquisition and relocation costs to the city, he said, because the federal government requires such information when申请 for federal funds.
If all the mall financing were approved — by the public and the downtown merchants, and the city could obtain the federal UDAG funds — he would buy a vacant land and relocating people displaced by the plan.
Recently, the city staff released estimates of how much this process would cost the city if the mall were in the 600 block of Massachusetts Street.
Land acquisition and relocation costs would be about $5.1 million to the city, the staff's report
"The process could take a year or more."
Goodell said. "It's hard to say, it depends on how many people appeal."
In the land acquisition process, a person appeals to try to get more money for his property from the city. A property owner may appeal to the city, but only appeal the dollar amount the city offers for his property.
IF THE CITY WANTS an area of land, Goodell said, the city gets it. it has this power under the law of eminent domain, he said.
To obtain the land, the city notifies landowners and property owners who would be affected, then determines the price of the land and property by hiring an appraiser to put a value on the
He said that the city could pay a homeowner up to $500 to move, in addition to what his house was worth. The city can pay tenants up to $4,000 for compensation.
The city pays business owners a fixed amount based on the average annual income of the business, or the city will move the business. Another option open to business owners would be for the city to pay what it would cost to move the business, and let the business move itself.
Other costs to the city would be street improvements and construction of plaza and open space. Cost estimates for street improvement projects cost about $142,000 per plaza and open spaces would cost about $142,000.
THE PEDESTRIAN PLAZA would be north of Seventh Street in front of the Lawrence Opera House, 642 Massachusetts St., where the street now exists.
Town Center officials estimated that the city would spend a total of $6,250,000 on land acquisition and site development.
Site development would include demolition of existing buildings, installing utilities for the mall — sewer, water, power, gas, phone and cable — and installing traffic equipment.
The developer also estimated that $2.2 million could be raised for the project by the city issuing general obligation bonds. That bond issue would go to be before the public for a vote later this year.
continued from p.1
City Commissioner David Longhurst, who was mayor when the commission chose Town Center, said the city chose the new developer because it had been known a lack of enthusiasm for the Sizer plan.
firm, with Town Center as the official developer seven months after the commissioners took office in April. 1983.
Displace
Sizer's plan was for a mall between Seventh and Ninth streets on the east side of Massachusetts.
Tim Fitzrel, of Gene Fitzel Construction, 1522 St. Andrews Drive, drive he was in favor of having Town Center develop the mall because it was a local firm.
"TALL FOR IT." Fritzel said of the Town Center plan. "I think it's great that we can find a local concern that will stick its neck out for the city."
The Town Center site is the logical place for a mall downtown, he said, because most of the building has been vacant.
Donna Kizer, 612 Kentucky St., is a homeowner in the area of the planned Town Center door.
"I don't think it's going to go through and if it does it will be at least two years," she said.
She said that her house had potential to be a home before that she did that, she would want to know how to do it.
"It itens like we could go to all this work and then it could go to waste," she said.
One problem with the mall project is that it is not being done exclusively by a private development, take too long to complete, said John Colyer, owner of a vacant building at 617 Massachusetts St.
"ONE OF THE MAIN problems is that I don't think leses are very good at doing this kind of thing."
Colyer is an artist who is renovating his building for office space.
"When a developer buys land — eventually it happens, but a city has to look at who's to be affected. A governmental body has to be so accountable, and that process takes up so much time," he said. "With a private developer, it's less likely to lose momentum."
'It is extremely tentative. It is progressing so slowly at this point that there will be a new City Commission by the time there will be a vote.'
He said he saw several problems with the plan — too much traffic in one area, and the mail would disrupt the character of downtown beaches and online commerce at one end and ignored the other end.
"I don't think the public will buy it," he said. He said some opponents of the plan were not loud enough to stop people from buying it.
Davis, owner of Woodtoaves, that not only did he think the mall would never be built, he did not. "It was so old," he said.
owner of Everything But Ice
"It's hard for people to be vocal now. They can go before the City Commission in that little room but frankly, I'm embarrassed. People who are not in this room have to say 'no' to the plan with their vote."
"It would certainly be easier for the developer if he went in a suburban location. We are fortunate enough to have a couple of people who are willing to develop downtown."
He said he thought that if a private developer built a mail anywhere in the city other than the building, it was probably not safe.
But Ron Johnson, president of the Downtown Lawrence Association, said he didn't care what plan was used, as long as the development was downtown.
Ron Holt, a local architect who owns Pen & Inc Art Supplies, 623 Vermont St., disagreed with the premise that the mall would benefit existing downtown business people.
"I would support any sort of mail project down," he said. "I think you'll find an merch desk."
"The people downstown don't realize that if this mail goes in and if it's successful, it's going to get inundated."
IN A PROJECT like the downtown mall, said
Terry Sutliffe, president of the Lawrence
National Bank, 647 Massachusetts St., financing as the deciding factor.
"As far as the feasibility, it's the type of project that the whole downtown and the entire community is going to have to be behind for it to work," he said.
"We won't know whether we're going to move until the final piece of financing has been put in place."
Another businessman in the area of the proposed mall also supports Town Center's plan.
He said that although the prospect of moving the entire bank did not please him, the possibility of moving was a long way down the road. He said he wanted downtown development, and the city had decided on the Town Center plan, so he would support it.
Bob Trainer, owner of Art & Sign Graphics Corp. 619 Vermont St., said that he had not planned to relocate his business but that he had always made it a priority, and condemnation process did not hurt his business.
"I LIKE THE PROJECT for the idea that Lawrence needs a downtown mall," he said. "I think there needs to be a strong downtown mall; I think it's a good project, and I intend to support it."
He said that he had not heard any negative comments about the proposed mall, but that might have been because most of his contacts were business people.
"Primarily, I think the developer is in touch with the needs of Lawrence better than an outside company would be," he said. "You could be able to get something downtown better."
"I think it's got a better than ever business."
Public opinion of the plan, especially that of downtown merchants, is important for the future of the downtown mail.
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