Plans confirm Sprouts is latest grocer coming to Sixth and Wakarusa; Rock Chalk Park trails set for approval; Free State to host open house at bottling plant

Courtesy: City of Lawrence

It is official now: Sprouts Farmers Market will be the new grocery store that will be constructed near Sixth and Wakarusa in the Bauer Farm development.

We’ve been reporting for months that a specialty grocer was coming to the intersection, and it hasn’t exactly been a secret that Sprouts was the leading contender. (A secret is my PIN for my ATM card. I still haven’t been able to get my wife to tell it to me.) But now a building permit has been filed for the project, and it lists Sprouts as the tenant.

So, West Lawrence residents, get ready for what should be a good time to be a grocery buyer. In case you have lost count, this means that three of the four corners at Sixth and Wakarusa will have a grocery store. There is Dillons on the southeast corner, Wal-Mart on the northwest corner, and Sprouts on the northeast corner. (Technically the Sprouts will be closer to Wakarusa and Overland Drive, but you could throw an organic tomato from Sixth and Wakarusa and still hit it.) Of course, there is also Hy-Vee at Sixth and Monterrey Way, which coincidentally is undergoing a significant renovation, including a beefed up health market section.

It is almost like they are getting ready for more competition. We could call it the Grocery Games. (As opposed to the Hunger Games. In this competition, rather than bows and arrows, contestants are armed with cocktail toothpicks and copious amounts of free samples.)

The grocery games may just be getting started. An area to keep an eye on is the proposed — but not yet approved — retail area southeast of the Iowa and the South Lawrence Trafficway intersection. The development group has said it plans to have a specialty grocer in that development and has been talking to two such companies. When the developers released the names of likely tenants, a specialty grocer wasn’t on the list, which may mean discussions still have a ways to go. I don’t have good insight into who the developers may be talking to, but when you think of top specialty grocers not already in Lawrence, you think of companies like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. But the small-store grocery space is a very active one, so there are probably others we’re not thinking of.

As for Sprouts, I’ve got a call into the company headquarters in Phoenix to find out details about a potential opening date, and why the company is interested in the Lawrence market. When I hear back, I’ll report back. In terms of what Sprouts offers, the company has a store in Overland Park, so some of you may be familiar. Based on the company’s website, the stores have a variety of departments including meat, dairy, frozen foods, grocery, bulk items, bakery, deli, seafood, beer, and supplements and healthcare products. The company touts itself as a “farmers market style” grocer, so produce is a very large part of the store’s make-up.

In other news and notes from around town:

• After you get done partaking in all the free samples grocery stores soon will have to offer, you might want to take a walk or jog along a Lawrence trail. Soon, work will begin on a little more than 3.5 miles of trails at the Rock Chalk Park sports complex in northwest Lawrence. City commissioners at their meeting tonight are scheduled to approve the plans. Click here to see a map of the proposed trail system. In general, there will be about a quarter-mile of 10 foot-wide concrete trails near the recreation center and stadiums. There will be about 3.3 miles of a 10-foot wide crushed asphalt trail that runs through the woods, the hills and the stream valley that is behind the recreation center. The plans also call for a fire pit area near the recreation center, which could be used as a gathering area when the trails are used to host 5K runs and such. As for costs, the city as part of its master development agreement agreed to pay $404,520 for the trails.

The city also has another Rock Chalk Park item on its agenda tonight. Commissioners are set to approve the design of a $53,200 stone monument sign to be placed at the entrance to Rock Chalk Park. See below for a rendering of the proposed sign. As for the cost, the city had agreed to $150,000 worth of monument sign expenses for the project, so it appears possible that the city will see a savings in that area.

• After taking a long walk or jog, you certainly need to get rehydrated. There will be a unique opportunity to do so on July 19. From 1 to 4 p.m., the The Free State Brewing Company will be hosting an open house of it production facility and bottling plant at 1923 Moodie Road in East Lawrence. Folks can stop by and learn more about how Free State makes its beer and ships it out across the Midwest. Free State beer and food will be available for purchase at the event, with proceeds going to benefit the Health Care Access Clinic.

The open house is part of 25th anniversary celebration for the company, and also the five-year anniversary of the company’s East Lawrence production center.

Plans confirm Sprouts is latest grocer coming to Sixth and Wakarusa; Rock Chalk Park trails set for approval; Free State to host open house at bottling plant

Courtesy: City of Lawrence

It is official now: Sprouts Farmers Market will be the new grocery store that will be constructed near Sixth and Wakarusa in the Bauer Farm development.

We’ve been reporting for months that a specialty grocer was coming to the intersection, and it hasn’t exactly been a secret that Sprouts was the leading contender. (A secret is my PIN for my ATM card. I still haven’t been able to get my wife to tell it to me.) But now a building permit has been filed for the project, and it lists Sprouts as the tenant.

So, West Lawrence residents, get ready for what should be a good time to be a grocery buyer. In case you have lost count, this means that three of the four corners at Sixth and Wakarusa will have a grocery store. There is Dillons on the southeast corner, Wal-Mart on the northwest corner, and Sprouts on the northeast corner. (Technically the Sprouts will be closer to Wakarusa and Overland Drive, but you could throw an organic tomato from Sixth and Wakarusa and still hit it.) Of course, there is also Hy-Vee at Sixth and Monterrey Way, which coincidentally is undergoing a significant renovation, including a beefed up health market section.

It is almost like they are getting ready for more competition. We could call it the Grocery Games. (As opposed to the Hunger Games. In this competition, rather than bows and arrows, contestants are armed with cocktail toothpicks and copious amounts of free samples.)

The grocery games may just be getting started. An area to keep an eye on is the proposed — but not yet approved — retail area southeast of the Iowa and the South Lawrence Trafficway intersection. The development group has said it plans to have a specialty grocer in that development and has been talking to two such companies. When the developers released the names of likely tenants, a specialty grocer wasn’t on the list, which may mean discussions still have a ways to go. I don’t have good insight into who the developers may be talking to, but when you think of top specialty grocers not already in Lawrence, you think of companies like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. But the small-store grocery space is a very active one, so there are probably others we’re not thinking of.

As for Sprouts, I’ve got a call into the company headquarters in Phoenix to find out details about a potential opening date, and why the company is interested in the Lawrence market. When I hear back, I’ll report back. In terms of what Sprouts offers, the company has a store in Overland Park, so some of you may be familiar. Based on the company’s website, the stores have a variety of departments including meat, dairy, frozen foods, grocery, bulk items, bakery, deli, seafood, beer, and supplements and healthcare products. The company touts itself as a “farmers market style” grocer, so produce is a very large part of the store’s make-up.

In other news and notes from around town:

• After you get done partaking in all the free samples grocery stores soon will have to offer, you might want to take a walk or jog along a Lawrence trail. Soon, work will begin on a little more than 3.5 miles of trails at the Rock Chalk Park sports complex in northwest Lawrence. City commissioners at their meeting tonight are scheduled to approve the plans. Click here to see a map of the proposed trail system. In general, there will be about a quarter-mile of 10 foot-wide concrete trails near the recreation center and stadiums. There will be about 3.3 miles of a 10-foot wide crushed asphalt trail that runs through the woods, the hills and the stream valley that is behind the recreation center. The plans also call for a fire pit area near the recreation center, which could be used as a gathering area when the trails are used to host 5K runs and such. As for costs, the city as part of its master development agreement agreed to pay $404,520 for the trails.

The city also has another Rock Chalk Park item on its agenda tonight. Commissioners are set to approve the design of a $53,200 stone monument sign to be placed at the entrance to Rock Chalk Park. See below for a rendering of the proposed sign. As for the cost, the city had agreed to $150,000 worth of monument sign expenses for the project, so it appears possible that the city will see a savings in that area.

• After taking a long walk or jog, you certainly need to get rehydrated. There will be a unique opportunity to do so on July 19. From 1 to 4 p.m., the The Free State Brewing Company will be hosting an open house of it production facility and bottling plant at 1923 Moodie Road in East Lawrence. Folks can stop by and learn more about how Free State makes its beer and ships it out across the Midwest. Free State beer and food will be available for purchase at the event, with proceeds going to benefit the Health Care Access Clinic.

The open house is part of 25th anniversary celebration for the company, and also the five-year anniversary of the company’s East Lawrence production center.