Topeka — A House committee on Wednesday approved a bill that authorizes Kansas University and the KU Endowment Association to swap two parcels of land.
KU currently owns a vacant parcel of land adjacent to the Mississippi Street parking garage. The land is immediately north of the garage and, like the garage, stretches between Oread Avenue and Mississippi Street.
The city of Lawrence wants to replace water towers that are across Oread Avenue from the garage, and one option is to construct two lower profile water towers on the vacant KU land, according to Theresa Gordzica, chief business and financial planning officer for KU.
She told the House Education Budget Committee that it would be much easier for the city to purchase the land from the Endowment Association than from KU.
So KU intends to swap the property it owns for a parcel owned by the Endowment. That parcel is on 14th Street between Louisiana and Ohio streets, and is currently being used as a parking lot.
Gordzica said the two parcels of land have been appraised and are of equal value.
The committee approved House Bill 2071, sending it to the full House for consideration.
Comments
oneeye_wilbur 4 months, 2 weeks ago
So what happens to the land the current reservoirs sit on? What is going to be built there?
What are the appraisal amounts of the two parcels?
Will the land the city owns where the tanks are be sold backdoor approach as did KU when 3 lots quietly were advertised in The Kansas Register and one offer only from Tom Fritzel.
Does KU, KUEA, and the City think everyone in town is dumb!
oneeye_wilbur 4 months, 2 weeks ago
And the parking lot off 14th behind the Wheel will become a zoned parking lot? 24/7 ?
chrisparadies 4 months, 2 weeks ago
The lot behind the Wheel is already a zoned parking lot. It's for students who live in the Scholarship Halls. As a former Schol-Haller myself I wish the parking department would do a better job of enforcing those lots so people who go to the Hawk and the Wheel don't take the already very limited parking Scholarship Hall students have.
clovis_sangrail 4 months, 2 weeks ago
That was a problem with those lots even back when I was a scholarship hall resident more than 40 years ago.
I don't know what happens now, but we used to conduct organized water balloon raids on the porch of the Wheel when it was warm, and since this was a time of unfettered access to illegal fireworks, these raids were occasionally supplemented with "artillery."
And when it was nice and cold, one could do wonders with a squirt bottle on door seams, windows and locks.
Jayhawks64 4 months, 2 weeks ago
Wilbur, Why, exactly, do you care?
otto 4 months, 2 weeks ago
Because if no one cares someone is greasing their pockets.
blindrabbit 4 months, 2 weeks ago
Dagnabit: Was hoping that vacant lot (North of the parking lot) was going to be used to re-build the Original Gaslight Tavern once located there. Forget the shootings, the 1970's suspected arson and headquartes for many 1960's-70's protests gatherings. Understand, the new location of the water tanks there is "in a sense" is a watering hole, but not the same type as the Gaslight.
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