photo by: Nick Krug

Motorists along East 1200 Road approach a stop sign at an intersection that connects East 1200 Road and the South Lawrence Trafficway just south of the Kasold curve on Tuesday, March 29, 2016.

There is a certain someone in my house who appreciates any new shoe store on Massachusetts Street, especially running shoes. She needs all the help she can get staying a step ahead of the parking meter patrol. If you are like her, you are in luck. One of Lawrence’s more popular running stores is undertaking a major expansion and moving to Massachusetts Street.

Ad Astra Running has signed a deal to move into the vacant space at 734 Massachusetts St. For those of us who are more into elastic waistbands than running shoes, you may know that as the space that is next door to the old Hot Box Cookies location. (I say old because as we have reported, Hot Box moved to The Oread hotel recently.)

Ad Astra currently is located at 16 E. Eighth St. in downtown Lawrence. The pending move will allow the store to more than double in size, said Grant Catloth, who owns the store with business partner J. Jenkins.

The expansion is coming just eight months after Ad Astra opened for business. Catloth said the store’s status as a locally owned establishment has resonated with the running community.

“We’ve had a great reaction from the public and the running community,” Catloth said. “Douglas County is just a very homegrown, populous-oriented type of community, and they have really supported us.”

Catloth said the larger space will allow the store to stock a larger shoe inventory, but really will allow the store to grow its athletic apparel lines. Catloth said the larger space also will make it easier for the store to host events. Ad Astra currently hosts a Thursday evening running event in downtown, along with several other classes or gatherings each week. Although the events usually take place outside, the store serves as a gathering place and a location for runners to store their belongings. Catloth said crowds — the Thursday event attracts upwards of 80 people — were filling the store to capacity during those times.

Catloth expects one of the larger benefits of the move will be greater visibility among shoppers.

“One of our biggest issues is that a lot of people just don’t know we exist,” Catloth said. “Getting on Mass, you will have a couple hundred people walking by every 10 minutes on a Saturday.”

Catloth said minor renovation work is underway on the space. He said the store hopes to be open in the new location by the end of June.

View Map

---

In other news and notes from around town:

• This just in this morning: The Kansas Department of Transportation is backing away from its one-time plan to close the intersection of the South Lawrence Trafficway and Kasold Drive in in southwest Lawrence. But KDOT leaders aren’t willing to go so far as to install an expensive traffic signal at the intersection.

Instead, KDOT plans to convert the intersection into a right-in, right-out intersection. That will mean no left turns will be allowed at the intersection, and it also means that traffic won’t be able to fully cross the busy SLT to get to either Kasold Drive or to the rural county road that is just south of the SLT. Access to those roads will be limited to motorists turning right off of the SLT.

photo by: Nick Krug

Motorists along East 1200 Road approach a stop sign at an intersection that connects East 1200 Road and the South Lawrence Trafficway just south of the Kasold curve on Tuesday, March 29, 2016.

KDOT has included its recommendation in a final report that was delivered to local officials yesterday, and was placed on the city of Lawrence’s website Friday morning.

The idea of closing the intersection sparked much concern from many rural residents who live southwest of Lawrence. They use the intersection as a way to get into Lawrence, via Kasold Drive. Lawrence Landscape, which owns a tree farm just south of the intersection, also had objected to its planned closure.

KDOT officials had lobbied for the closure because they fear accidents will increase at the intersection once the eastern leg of the SLT opens this fall. Traffic at the intersection is expected to more than double once the eastern leg of the SLT opens.

In their final report, KDOT leaders said closing the intersection still would be the best decision for motorist safety, but said the right-in, right-out proposal is a “compromise solution.” The project won’t involve widening the intersection at all, but will include restriping and other minor modifications to the intersection. It is expected to cost $70,000, and will be paid for by KDOT. The City Commission and Douglas County Commission are expected to receive a briefing on the project by KDOT at their June 21 and June 22 meetings, respectively.

Proposed plan for Kasold and SLT intersection. Courtesy: KDOT/city of Lawrence

https://www.scribd.com/doc/315351939/KDOT-final-report-on-K-10-Kasold-intersection