City commissioners on Tuesday agreed to form a new task force that will study ways to attract more retailers to downtown Lawrence.

Commissioners at their weekly meeting agreed to create a task force that will look at:

• Retail vacancies and how a city-sponsored retail incubator could help reduce vacancies;

• The mix of retail versus bar and restaurant businesses;

• Opportunities for more events with Kansas University and the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau;

• Greater support of the arts in downtown.

Commissioners did not appoint any members to the task force Tuesday. Instead, they asked staff to create a resolution for future consideration that would formally create the new group. The idea for the task force came about as commissioners discussed comments they heard at a recent downtown Lawrence listening session.