University Daily Kansan / Thursday, February 4, 1988
Campus/Area
3
Commission OKs project
Mall developer sought
By Christine Martin Kansan staff writer
The Lawrence City Commission yesterday decided to seek a developer for a proposed $4.5 million downtown retail development project after a study session with the Downtown Improvement Committee.
Mayor Mike Amyx said the Commission would authorize its consultant to seek a developer for the project at the next City Commission meeting.
The City Commission and the improvement committee discussed finance plans for the project after hearing a report by the improvement committee's consultant, Ralph Basile.
Basile said developers knew the spending power that was leaking out of Lawrence.
"They're just waiting at the side lines to get in," he said.
The project calls for three department stores, 60 small shops and 1,200 additional parking spaces scattered in the 700, 800 and 900 blocks of Massachusetts Street. Six enclosed walkways would connect the shops.
The project would be financed 52 percent by a developer, 18 percent by a federal Urban Development Action Grant, 10 percent by a tax increment financing bond, and 20 percent by the creation of a benefit district downtown.
City Manager Buford Watson said there were three key stages in proceeding with the project:
Authorizing a consultant to hire a developer
T.
The project calls for three department stores,60 small shops and 1,200 additional parking spaces scattered in the 700,800 and 900 blocks of Massachusetts Street.
- Conducting a feasibility study on the tax increment financing bond
- Starting a benefit district
The increase in property tax revenues caused by the new construction would support the tax increment financing bond. The bond would recycle the increased amount of property taxes paid downtown to fund the project.
The benefit district bond annually would assess downtown merchants and property owners $2.98 per square foot of space in the downtown district. The money from the benefit district would support maintenance for the skywalks and parking garages.
To get the $5 million Urban Development Action Grant, however, the tax increment financing bond and the benefit district issues must be settled by Sept. 15, the final application deadline. A partial application for the grant must be filed by July 31.
Burdett Loomis, chairman of the improvement committee, said the committee would set up a six-member task force to investigate the benefit district.
Mark Becklin/Journal to the KANSAN
Rachel Planck, facilities operations housekeeping worker, clears snow from stairs near Wescoe Hall. The KU Weather Service is calling for a high today of 20 degrees and a low tonight of 9 degrees.
Snowstorm blows through Lawrence
Kansan staff writer
By Kevin Dilmore
Punxsutawney Phil may have predicted an early spring two days ago, but that did not keep a wintery blast of snow crossing the state. leaving Lawrence to cone with more than three inches of snow.
Snow removal crews were out early yesterday morning to clear overnight accumulation from the streets, but driving was still hazardous. The Lawrence Police Department reported 10 to 12 accidents in a six-hour period yesterday.
A dispatcher for Hillcrest Wrecker and Garage, 1226 E. 23rd St., said that the weather caused her to be busier than usual.
"I've had quite a few calls today, and I expect them to go into the night," she said.
I'm pretty confident about my own driving. It's the other people I'm scared to death of.'
Mark Rowlands Prairie Village sophomore
The National Weather Service forecast calls for no more new snow in the area. Partly cloudy skies were forecast for today, with the high expected to be in the 20s.
Even though the weather made driving and walking on campus unpractical, some students seemed undaunted by the steady stream of Welcome Calls.
Mary Kelly, Franktown, Colo., freshman, said she didn't mind the snow.
"At home, it's no big deal," she said. "But when it snows here, people act like they are seeing it for the first time.
Mark Rowlands, Prairie Village sophomore, said traveling on snowy roads didn't bother him much.
"People from Kansas aren't used to driving in it, I guess."
"I'm pretty confident about my own driving," he said. "It's the other people I'm scared to death of."
But Rowlands said the snow could keep him off the streets.
"When it's like this, I tend to do more homework and spend
"When it's like this, I tend to do more homework and spend my time more wisely in general." he said.
more wisely in general," he said.
Kim Cox, Des Molines, Iowa, freshman, also said she stayed close to her.
Kelly said that if anything, the sight of snow gave her a touch of homeiness
Businesswomen are bringing the workplace home
"Being from Colorado, the snow depresses me a little," she said. "I love to ski, and you can't ski in Kansas."
Rv Davana Yochim
Kansan staff writer
The cliche that says a woman's place is in the home has taken on a new meaning in the U.S. workplace.
The Small Business Administration estimates that there are 15,000 to 20,000 people in Kansas working full time from their homes.
Birch said that women were the fastest growing segment of the small business industry.
"There were more than 400,000 home enterprises lauched in 1985 alone," said Lonah Birch, regional public information officer for the administration.
Several Lawrence businesswomen said that bringing the workplace home had advantages.
Ginger Wilkins, Lawrence resident, has been a home-based skincare consultant for Mary Kay Cosmetics since 1980. Wilkins said that she enjoyed the flexible work schedule and staying with her children.
Yet, there are drawbacks.
leave her home.
Some said it was harder to make business contacts in such an isolated setting and that they found themselves working longer hours than would be required in an office.
Wilkins said that although the office setting was more confining than the home, the increased work load often made it difficult for her to
"It it takes discipline to get out of the house," Wilkins said. "At first, it was hard for me to get on the phone and make the outside contacts I needed. Now, sometimes it's hard to turn my back on the business, shut the door, so to speak."
Maintaining outside contacts is one of the most important aspects of home-based work, said Nan Harper, marketing manager at Marketing, 110 Massachusetts St.
Several years ago. Harper ran her business from her home under the name Communications Unlimited.
"Home business is definitely not for introverts," she said. "If you have to push yourself to get out, then you shouldn't work at home."
Harper said the atmosphere in an office was more stimulating than at home.
"It's easy to stay at home and not go to meetings. But, the contacts are a lot harder to make when there aren't other people around to push you." Harper said.
Steve Schwartz, director of the Small Business Development Center in Summerfield Hall, said that his office counseled people starting or operating small businesses.
"I would estimate that 30 percent of the businesses we counsel are home-based or home-started," Schwartz said.
Schwartz said that most successful businesses that were started at home eventually would move to a storefront or rent office space.
"There is too much going on in the home," Schwartz said. "Granted, you don't have the overhead, but you are running it to make a profit."
Harper said the distractions at home often hampered her work.
"I'd love to have a job and be at home. Anytime you can stay at home with the kids, it's great," Harper said. "But there is always that backyard to tend to, or maybe dinner should be started early."
Harper said that she had had to move into an office because her business was expanding.
"I was getting more work than I could handle. I wanted to hire employees, but there are certain ordinances that prohibit this," she
said.
Zoning ordinances for home-based businesses vary across the nation. Most localities require a business license for home-based businesses. Obtrusive signs and yellow-page advertising often are forbidden.
In Lawrence, not more than two people from a household can earn their living from a home business all-time outside help is not allowed.
A county permit fee is required to open a home-based business. This fee is based on the nature of the business.
Harper said these drawbacks seemed slight compared to the inflated costs of office space. But they are greater in an office, she said.
Despite violence, Haiti close to professor's heart
Bryant Freeman
By Brenda Finnell
Kansan staff writer
Bryant Freeman sees Haiti as a country of extremes, where things don't always go as expected.
"Haitian reality is very, very difficult to internet." Freeman said.
Speaking to about 60 people at the University Forum yesterday, Freeman, professor of French and Italian, talked about Haitian history and his visits to Haiti during the past 30 years.
Freeman's last visit to Haiti was in mid-January. He observed the Jan. 17 elections in which Leslie Manigat led the opposition in Haiti to work on two books, and
while there he served as an interpr-
eer at the Association of Press journalists
coverage election.
At KU, Freeman teaches Haitian Creole, the native language of Haiti. KU and Indiana University are the only two universities in the nation that have a Haitian language program.
When voters requested a particular candidate's ballot, they would be handed a ballot for Manigat, Freeman said. Because only about 20
Freeman said it was obvious that the presidential election was fixed. His journalist friends saw soldiers distributing ballots for Mangat five days before the polls opened.
percent of Haiti is literate, voters did not know who they were voting for, Freeman said.
He estimated that 10 to 20 percent of the population voted.
Manigat is a professor and not the typical politician, but he is a credible leader and might be able to get the United States to renew aid to Haiti, Freeman said.
Freeman said he had not expected Manigat to win the election and was not sure how he would lead Haiti.
Following the election violence in November, which caused Haitian leaders to postpone the presidential vote until January, the United States cut off all aid to Haiti except for
humanitarian assistance.
The Haitian army and the Tonton Macoutes, an outlawed organization of Jean-Claude Duvalier, former Haitian dictator, were blamed for the Nov. 29 election violence that killed 34 people.
Manigat is a realist since he recognized he couldn't win without or against the military, Freeman said. He said he was unsure how Manigat would handle the Tonton Macoutes.
Freeman also discussed the many problems currently facing Haiti.
He said he agreed with a former student of his who said, "Hati is like a good movie. It makes you laugh and cry at the same time, but it grabs
Haiti became independent in 1804 and is the only country in world history to have a successful slave revolt, Freeman said.
"This is the strength of Haiti, the pride of Haiti and also the weakness of Haiti," Freeman said. "It has been said that Haiti perhaps became independent too soon."
Freeman said Haiti gave the term "developing country" a new meaning.
"Haiti is developing too, but developing in the wrong way." Freeman said. "It is regressing." Haiti is one of the three poorest countries in the world, he said.
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FEBRUARY 5-7,1988 Presented by BSU
of the Dream
Main Event...
Saturday, February 6, 1988 "Mr. EBONY/Ms. ESSENCE PAGEANT" Kansas Union Ballroom - 7:30 p.m.
Feb 5...
Speaker: Carl Boyd
7:00 p.m. Alderson Aud.
Feb 7...
Gospel Extravaganza
3:00 p.m., Ballroom