The free bird has perhaps decided to fly away. There’s a new sign hanging from the window of the Freebirds World Burrito in downtown Lawrence that indicates the restaurant has closed.

The sign came to my attention yesterday, and I’ve been trying to get in touch with the restaurant’s spokeswoman ever since, but with no luck. The sign apologizes for the inconvenience and reads, “Freebirds has closed indefinitely in Lawrence. Please come visit our other locations in Kansas City.”

Make of that what you will. That’s the thing about indefinitely. It is just not definite enough for my tastes. But assuming that the restaurant’s run in Lawrence is over, it is a bit of an unexpected departure. The restaurant — which served a variety of burritos, tacos, adult beverages and the like — opened its doors in late January of 2013.

Freebirds went into a big space — the former Maurices clothing store — that had sat vacant for a long time after the clothing retailer moved to South Iowa Street. It sure looked like Freebirds spent some good money to renovate about two-thirds of the space. The other third was put up for lease, but a tenant hasn’t yet been found. If Freebirds is done, then downtown Lawrence once again has one of its larger Massachusetts Street storefronts sitting vacant.

It will be interesting to watch. The space sat vacant for about three years after Maurices left downtown Lawrence in 2009. The economy was much different back then, so who knows what the prospects for the building may be now. Although I haven’t heard any rumblings, I suppose it is possible Freebirds is leaving because someone has expressed interest in the entire Maurices space.

I’ll keep my ears open for news on the space. In the meantime, it is probably best that we all remember the words of a famous poet — who we have forgotten the name of — who wrote: Set the bird free. If it is true love, it shall return. Or something like that.

For those of you who loved Freebirds, I’m not sure where that leaves you. I guess, watch the sky for a bird with an overstuffed burrito hanging from its beak.

In other news and notes from around town:

• The idea of Lawrence becoming home to senior citizens and retirees continues to be a strong one. An Olathe senior housing company has confirmed it is trying to put together a deal for a 90-unit senior living community near 25th Terrace and O’Connell Road in southeast Lawrence.

The proposed developer is Wheatland Investments, which has about 500 apartment units across the region, according to a letter from its managers, David and Suzanne Rhodes.

The project isn’t a done deal, however. In addition to needing the necessary city approvals, it also is competing for affordable housing tax credits from the state. Without those tax credits, I would guess the project may have to go back to the drawing board. The credits would make the apartments rent controlled, and would mean that tenants would have to meet some income guidelines.

The credits also can be used to provide housing for low income individuals, but, according to the letter, Wheatland is interested in making the project exclusively for senior citizens 55-years and older. The concept plan calls for 15 buildings, each housing six garden/ranch style apartments. The project would be spread out over nine acres near the intersection.

Lawrence city commissioners at their meeting tonight will receive a request from the developers to issue Industrial Revenue Bonds, which would qualify the approximately $8 million project for a property tax abatement. But commissioners aren’t being asked to approve the request tonight. Instead, they’re being asked to send the request to city staff members for review and analysis.

The site is just south of of the proposed site for another affordable housing project. As we previously have reported, the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority has been working on a partnership with a group led by Lawrence businessman Bill Newsome to develop an approximately $15 million affordable housing project for working families.

But Shannon Oury, executive director of the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority, told me this morning that project has suffered a setback. Interest rates have risen, and that has created complications for the financing of the project.

“We’re in a situation of reevaluating how we make that work,” Oury said.

She said the group didn’t have a timeline for determining when or if that project would move forward.

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