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Wednesday, August 24, 1988 / University Daily Kansan
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An artist's conception of the riverfront retail mall project. The 150,000-square-foot mall will be located north of the Santa Fe Railway tracks between New York and New Hampshire streets.
Mall construction to begin in fall
By Mark Fagan
Kansan staff writer
Lawrence residents would be able to walk along the Kansas River next summer and see shops, not warehouses, under a plan approved this summer by the Lawrence City Commission.
Since May, city officials and private contractors have been working together on a riverfront retail project that will allow the factory outlet shopping to Lawrence.
On Aug. 9, the commission approved a site plan for the Kansas State Fair to provide foot retail area north of the Santa Fe Railway tracks between New York and Kansas City.
The Plaza would house 30 to 40 factory outlets, most of them clothing stores. And David Evans, a project consultant, said the merchandise would be inexpensive and of high quality.
"This isn't a bargain type of merchandise," said Evans, an architect with Gould Evans Architects, P.A., of Lawrence. "These are the real products with the manufacturers names on them," he said. "These are not damaged, second hand or rejects. They are be selling good merchandise."
The Plaza also would offer a small apartment, said Irving Paris, a project architect with the Clover Group, Albany, N.Y., which is designing the building.
Paris said the historic 'barbed wheel' building now on the site most likely was formed into a large, first-class restaurant. All other buildings on the site were removed.
Barring any problems, Paris said work would begin Oct. 1 and should
be finished sometime next summer at an estimated cost of $12 million.
the commission decided to set aside the maximum of $3.5 million of public funds for its end of the agreement, which includes a parking permit and traffic improvements, said Mike Wildgen, assistant city manager.
Lawrence Mayor Bob Schumm said he thought the money would be well spent.
"I think it'll be a super addition," he said. "It's the best possible project. We will have first-rate, grade-A products, increase consumer activity and get more people very charming addition to our already unstable downtown structure."
Commissioner Mike Amysa said he also liked the project, but didn't know whether the project would replace a possible downtown mall.
"When you stop and look at what can be done with the riverfront area, it's a great idea." Amyx said "It doesn't work. It does it and it never tear down 'nournment.'"
Amyx said the Plaza would increase retail activity downtown and create jobs for Lawrence residents.
"In my opinion, this satisfies many of the concerns brought up about this (the mall) issue," Amyx said.
Lanae Heine, manager of Harper's clothing, 539 Massachusetts St. said the project was good for its use and its effect on downtown merchants.
“It’s hard to say what I’ll do.”
Heine said. “On one hand, it can bring more people down to shop. On the other, you people away from the small stores.”
Dennis Constance, city commissioner, agreed that the project would be beneficial, but voted against the
site plan on Aug. 9 because he thought things were moving too quickly. Constance was the only one who was against the plan for the project.
"I felt like we ought to be a little more careful," Constand said. "Now that the site plan is approved, we're really locked in."
He said that the city had lost flexibility in its dealings with the Chelsea Group, the East Coast development firm supervising the project.
"Our part has to fit what they build," Constance said. "If it doesn't, we'll be in a bit of trouble."
Constance said the city's main part was the parking garage. He said plans for the 675-car, three-level building would cost about $3 million; nearly would够thecity's $8.3 million allotment for the project. The commission decided Monday to submit a two-level, 511-space plan to the city. It would cost about $2.5 million.
Barry Shalinsky, president of the East Lawrence Improvement Association, a group that has watched closely action on the project that will create an open neighborhood, said that the new parking proposal was the best so far.
"Obviously, our idea is to keep the parking structure as compact as possible." Shalinsky said.
Although Shalikny he said was not happy with the project, he said the city and developer were as responsible and concernless as could be expected.
"Let's put it this way." Shalimayi said, "there no one in its development to suffer from the effects of affecting its adversity, but a lot of what I see is not as bad as it could be."
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