WRITER: Bremen Keasey

Lawrence Farmers Market to explore finding permanent downtown site, with plan to add pavilion that could expand market

Although the Lawrence Farmers Market is the longest-running one in the state — operating since 1976 — it has never had its own permanent site. The market has been held in a handful of places in downtown Lawrence before settling in 2007 at its current location, the parking lot at 824 New Hampshire St. It may be on the move again in the next few years, but Emily Lysen, the director of development for the ...

Lawrence city commissioners happy to see funding for fire station in Capital Improvement Plan; they discuss adding other projects to it

In discussing the proposed five-year Capital Improvement Plan, Lawrence city commissioners said they were happy to see funding for a new fire station, and they expressed interest in exploring some unfunded projects further, such as affordable housing initiatives and protected bike lanes. Commissioners got their first glance on Tuesday at the proposed five-year CIP, which acts as a blueprint for sustaining and ...

As Lawrence leaders explore adding fees for rec centers, city staff hopes to build trust with the public through 'pop-up' engagement events

Amid the squeak of sneakers from basketball games at Sports Pavilion Lawrence on Thursday night, Lawrence city staff were hearing from dozens of speakers who had turned out to share their opinions about the city's proposed entry fees for recreation centers. The conversation was a “pop-up” event hosted by Cori Wallace, the city’s communications director, and Millie Pageau, a community engagement ...

Lawrence city commissioners to provide feedback on five-year Capital Improvement Plan

Lawrence city commissioners will get a first glance Tuesday night at the city's proposed five-year Capital Improvement Plan, a key first step in developing the city’s budget for next year. Commissioners will be asked to provide feedback about the CIP, which acts as a blueprint for sustaining and improving community infrastructure. It includes specific projects that exceed $100,000 and either create a new ...

Lawrence-based National Heritage Area group to relocate from Carnegie Building to Watkins Museum; it cites uncertainty about federal funds

The ability of the Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area to open up its interpretive displays at the Carnegie Building in downtown Lawrence in 2011 helped change the organization. “When they opened to the public, we were no longer just an industry-facing group, but a public-facing one,” Johnny Szlauderbach, the director of communications and projects for the FFNHA, said. Those displays at the Carnegie ...

Public health leaders tell Lawrence City Commission the county's new Health Improvement Plan will help achieve city's other strategic goals

Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health's five-year plan isn't just about hospitals and clinics, the department's leaders told the Lawrence City Commission on Tuesday — it's about some of the city's top policy priorities, like adding affordable housing and reducing chronic homelessness. On Tuesday, the City Commission heard an update on LDCPH's Community Health Improvement Plan, which was released last October ...