Bo Harris, the man behind the Hobbs-Taylor Lofts in the 700 block of New Hampshire Street, has more development in mind to revitalize East Lawrence. Now he is proposing a mix of housing and commercial uses in the area near Eighth and Pennsylvania streets, but faces some neighborhood opposition.

geekin_topekan

What is your opinion of the lower income population of East Lawrence?

Eagle_aye

Will you be using the new foam insulation in the walls of your new buildings to make them more energy efficient and reduce noise?

andrewn

What other plans, besides the development on Pennsylvania Street, do you have for revitalizing East Lawrence and how are you going to address concerns over gentrification?

Moderator

Hi folks! I’m Joel Mathis, managing editor for convergence here at the Lawrence Journal-World, and I’m moderating today. Bo has just joined us, and we’ll start shortly.

Bo Harris

Hi All:

I’m ready for your qustions.

gontek

Bo,
Can you share with us your vision for the future of Lawrence, particularly with respect to Downtown and East Lawrence?

Bo Harris

My vision is to enhance the existing vitality of downtown Lawrence. I feel that this can be done through the use of mixed-use projects — and when I say mixed-use, I am particularly referring to projects that strengthen the retail environment while bringing 24-hour-a-day citizens, by way of residences, to the central business district. I see the tie from downtown to the East Lawrence project being extremely important to enhancing that development vision. Our downtown is very limited in footprint, and I feel we can bring additional residents and office users into the downtown area with the close walking distance of the East Lawrence project.

Bo Harris

In addition, I feel it is very important for Lawrence’s various public institutions to continue to locate in our central business district first. That is to say, projects like the Lawrence library and others that may be envisioned in the future.

justthefacts

Do you think that the residents of Lawrence are harder to work with then in other cities/places and will you be proposing any other new projects in downtown Lawrence?

Bo Harris

Lawrence is a slightly different environment, but I think the citizens’ response is consistent with what I would probably see in other university communities. I don’t know if the terminology is “harder” or if it is simply a different response to economic development.

geekin_topekan

Mr.Harris,
Are you considering using eminent domain laws to acquire property?I am sure that the property owners would be compensated but what about the people that actually live there?Some have rented for years.Do you take those people into consideration?Do you have a compensation plan for the residents that would be evicted should eminent domain come into play?

Bo Harris

No, we do not plan on using eminent domain. Have not, and don’t plan to.

gontek

Bo,
What type of neighborhood support have you seen regarding your developments?

Bo Harris

At this point, I feel like the East Lawrence neighborhood has given good support. It has been hard to accomplish, but I’ve always tried to take into consideration their position on the different aspects of this development.

jade

We are already so overbuilt in residential and commercial uses that it will take at least 8 years to catch up. In East Lawrence, how many homes do you want to displace with the development of more unnecessary commercial space?

Bo Harris

We do not plan on displacing any residences to create commercial space. Our commercial space will be built in existing historical structures as we acquire tenants for that space. Thus, in this zone of the redevelopment, no unnecessary space will be built — only unutilized or underutilized buildings will be redeveloped. Zone 3 could include as much as 7,000 sq ft of neighborhood services-type business that may be partially speculative. I’m not sure that I have read the study indicating we have 8 years of commercial space in Lawrence overbuilt. My conversations with Kansas City and regional developers always indicates that Lawrence is underbuilt regarding retail.

ThomasJefferson

Do you see the Two Rivers Trail (aka Burroughs Creek Trail) benefiting residents in your housing complex? If so, do you plan to leave enough space for it to be extended to the Kansas River?

Bo Harris

Yes. Through discussions with the East Lawrence neighborhood and the trails group, I have always indicated that their choice of pass-through the project would be implemented. I think it will be a great asset to this project.

KsTwister

Was a consideration to existing structures on Massachusetts or Vermont not just as equally desirable to use the loft/retail concept of restructure as some cities are doing now?

Bo Harris

With regard to development of mixed-use proects on Mass Street and Vermont, a big consideration with loft ownership is covered and secure parking. This tends to restrict development on a street such as Massachusetts.

andrewn

Mr. Harris, what are your plans on addressing concerns over gentrification of East Lawrence form the residents?

Bo Harris

I’ve communicated with the neighborhood that I’ve felt, due to pressures beyond anyone’s control, that East Lawrence is an area that will face a great deal of pressure for gentrification. I feel our East Lawrence project will certainly contribute to this process; in fact gentrification is something that will take place with or without the project. In short, I feel the enhancements the project brings to the neighborhood greatly outweigh its contribution toward gentrification.

Bo Harris

I’ve communicated with the neighborhood that I’ve felt, due to pressures beyond anyone’s control, that East Lawrence is an area that will face a great deal of pressure for gentrification. I feel our East Lawrence project will certainly contribute to this process; in fact gentrification is something that will take place with or without the project. In short, I feel the enhancements the project brings to the neighborhood greatly outweigh its contribution toward gentrification.

jade

Do you live in East Lawrence? If not, why are you the person to talk about the future of these neighborhoods?

Bo Harris

No, I do not live in East Lawrence. However, I was raised close by on Barker Street, and my grandparents lived at 13th and Connecticut. As I grew up, Lawrence was a much different community; I certainly had many friends from that area of town. Of course, none of this makes me the designated director of that neighborhood’s direction. I did read the East Lawrence planning document prior to pursuing this project, and have always felt that it followed that vision, the vision of the neighbors themselves.

Bo Harris

No, I do not live in East Lawrence. However, I was raised close by on Barker Street, and my grandparents lived at 13th and Connecticut. As I grew up, Lawrence was a much different community; I certainly had many friends from that area of town. Of course, none of this makes me the designated director of that neighborhood’s direction. I did read the East Lawrence planning document prior to pursuing this project, and have always felt that it followed that vision, the vision of the neighbors themselves.

gontek

Bo,
Why are you goinog to all the trouble with the pennsylvania property? Couldn’t you jsut build a couple of duplexes on your property there with no interference or hassle?

Bo Harris

Building two duplexes just isn’t what Harris Construction is all about. I have thought long and hard about just where in Lawrence a project developed with community enhancement and quality in mind could take place. That included downtown Lawrence and any site either side of the Kansas River. I am very interested in the redevelopment and preservation of existing buildings, and all these factors lead to the approximate two-block area at the northeast edge of the East Lawrence neighborhood.

Moderator

That’s the last audience question we’ll take. Where does your proposal stand in the city planning process?

Bo Harris

The next step is two readings of the various ordinances that the City Commission voted on approximately six weeks ago. We have not received a schedule for those readings at this time.

Moderator

Thanks Bo.