It looks as if the developer of a large mixed-use project across from Kansas University’s Memorial Stadium will be trying to negotiate a deal with a new vendor to complete a high-tech parking garage for the project.

There should be, however, no negotiation over whether that project will include the full amount of parking called for in the approved plans.

The developer, Here@Kansas, confirmed last week that Boomerang Systems Inc., the company that was supposed to install the robotic parking equipment, has filled for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and halted work on the Lawrence project.

This is no small wrinkle for the project, which includes 237 apartments with 624 bedrooms. One of the advantages of the high-tech system is that it could accommodate the required 460 parking spaces in significantly less space than required for a traditional parking garage. Another Here apartment project in Champaign, Ill., also was depending on Boomerang Systems and was only able to open its doors after reaching an agreement to rent city parking spaces a few blocks away. In Lawrence, Here already has tried and failed to reach an agreement to use nearby KU parking spaces for its project, and there appear to be few other off-site parking possibilities within a reasonable distance.

Here’s representative, Jim Heffernan, said his group is working to find another company to provide the robotic parking system. One assumes they are making every effort to find such a company because without that system, the scheduled fall 2016 opening of the complex is significantly in doubt.

If the project can’t meet the parking requirements, the city has the power to withhold an occupancy permit for the complex. If the project asks for an exemption from the city’s parking code, it could trigger a reconsideration of the 85 percent, 10-year tax rebate approved by the previous Lawrence City Commission. Mayor Mike Amyx voted against that incentive, and several of the new commissioners have raised questions about whether such incentives are appropriate for apartment projects.

If plans for the robotic parking garage fall through, Here will have to find another way to provide the required parking or risk losing its tax incentives — and it’s almost certain that any option that would push more parking into the neighborhood around the complex wouldn’t be acceptable to commissioners.

Heffernan expressed optimism last week that Here would be able to find another vendor to supply its robotic parking system. Hopefully that optimism is justified, because it appears the developer doesn’t have any other workable options.