Eudora City Commission to select Nottingham developer; Eudora mayor’s term extended; Baldwin City dance academy expanding; Pickup to be auctioned Saturday

The Eudora City Commission will select on Monday the developer with whom it will start negotiating an agreement for the redevelopment of the Nottingham property.

The city received two applications for its request for proposals to develop the 15-acre site that includes the closed Nottingham Elementary School and the old Eudora school district football stadium. The city purchased the property, which is on the west side of Church Street just north of the city’s main gateway from Kansas Highway 10, from the school district for $850,000.

The developer was to be named March 29, but the selection was delayed because of a mix-up in the date set to interview the two candidates. Eudora Assistant City Manager Barack Matite said the selection would be made at the City Commission’s regular meeting Monday, which starts at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 4 E. Seventh St. Both developers are qualified, Matite said.

“The decision will probably be based on which developer is closer to the vision the City Commission has for the Nottingham property, and should adjustments have to be made, who could better make those changes based on what was presented,” he said.

Guidelines for the property, which were developed with community input, state that ideally the site would be transformed into a pedestrian-friendly development that includes a major retail/mixed-use “power” center and high-density residential and/or office space.

Monday could be an exciting night for Eudora, Matite said, but added that expectations should be tempered with the knowledge that the City Commission’s selection would mark only the start of negotiations between the city and the developer on a redevelopment agreement. That document will spell out the responsibilities of both parties in the redevelopment of the property.

There’s no timetable for when those negotiations should end, but Matite said it was the city’s goal to start construction at the site in the fall. That could be extended if more time is needed to complete a redevelopment agreement, he said.

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While the Lawrence City Commission has formed a committee to help it decide who should be mayor for the remainder of the year with the new state law moving municipal elections to the November of odd-numbered years, the Eudora City Commission voted unanimously March 28 to extend Mayor Tim Reazin’s term until January 2017.

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The Baldwin Academy of Dance and Voice is planning even greater changes than the noon and evening meals it started making available in February at its downtown studio, 711 High St.

Courtney Williams said she and her husband, Brian, plan now to expand the academy to the empty lots to the east of the academy. Late last year, Dave Hill razed the two vacant buildings he owned that stood on the lots, saying it was a beautification project.

The extension would house classrooms for gymnastics and tumbling and would have added room for students to do homework and eat while attending evening classes or rehearsals, Williams said.

“Our enrollment is larger than it’s ever been, and we need more space for classrooms,” she said.

She and her husband are talking with a number of construction firms on the project, which they hope to start in the late summer or fall, Williams said.

The new construction would blend with the character of downtown Baldwin City, she said.

Williams said she would share news of the academy’s planned expansion at the April luncheon of the Baldwin City Chamber of Commerce. That meeting will be noon Wednesday at The Lodge, 502 Ames St.

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The second annual Eudora High School ED-TEC car show and open house will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the ED-TEC, 2203 Church St. The event will include a barbecue cook-off, raffles, drawings and the auctioning of a 2008 4-by-4 F150 Ford pickup.

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The sixth-annual Autism Awareness Walk will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Eudora’s CPA Park. More information can be found at the Eudora A.C.E.S. Facebook page.

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The Baldwin City Senior Mix will meet at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Ives Chapel United Methodist Church, 1018 Miami St. Kay and Tony Kugler will present a program of vocal and instrumental music.