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.