City commissioners Tuesday did their part to keep alive an idea for a new commercial district along the banks of the Kansas River.

Commissioners at their weekly meeting unanimously agreed to a contract that would sell unused city property to a development group that has proposed turning the area near Johnny’s Tavern in North Lawrence into a mixed-use district.

Developers want to buy about 4 acres of vacant ground that abuts the Kansas River levee. Developers would combine that property with about 15 acres of property they already own in the area to create a district of shops, restaurants, offices and possibly apartments or condominiums.

But the sale is just the first step.

Representatives of the development group said Tuesday that it could be another year before specific plans for the development are presented to the city.

The sale of the property is contingent upon the project receiving necessary approval from the city and from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is responsible for protecting the river levee.

The contract calls for the development group – which includes local businessmen Rick Renfro, Jon Davis and Wichita-based developer Christian Ablah – to pay $1.75 per square foot for the property. The exact total the city would receive hasn’t been figured yet. More survey work must be done to determine how much property the city owns in the area versus how much is owned by a local drainage district.