photo by: Bremen Keasey

Residents fill the City Commission meeting room during the Lawrence City Commission's meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024.

Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday voted to cancel a purchase agreement for a building that was proposed as a future location for City Hall after a crowd of public speakers spoke against moving city government out of the downtown area.

The commission voted 3-2 to cancel the agreement to buy a former call center building at 2000 Bluffs Drive. Commissioner Lisa Larsen put forward a motion to cancel instead of purchase the site for $4.2 million after a lengthy discussion and public comment. Larsen, Commissioner Brad Finkeldei and Commissioner Mike Dever voted yes to cancel the agreement. Mayor Bart Littlejohn and Commissioner Amber Sellers voted no.

The idea of moving City Hall was first presented to commissioners in September in part because of a lack of space in the current City Hall building at 6 E. Sixth St. The site at 2000 Bluffs Drive would have about 50,000 square feet for employees, while the current space has just 35,000 square feet. But about 30 members of the public urged commissioners to reconsider moving City Hall from the current site.

Marci Francisco, a longtime state senator representing Lawrence and a former Lawrence mayor, said during public comment that City Hall belongs “in the heart of the city” and felt it was appropriate that Downtown Lawrence was “bookended” by City Hall on one end and the Douglas County Courthouse on the other. She hoped the city would not leave the space that was first constructed in 1980.

“No one wants to see a vacant building replacing the site of the former vacant grain elevators,” Francisco said. “Please keep our city hall downtown to keep our city government accessible and in sight.”

Renovations to the current location would cost an estimated $12 million. The Bluffs Drive location would cost an estimated $11.7 million to renovate, but it would also cost about $4.2 million to purchase the site. The city has set aside $12 million in project funding in its long-term improvement plan to cover the costs of either project. Any construction on either project would be expected to start in 2026.

Proponents of the Bluffs Drive location argue the city has outgrown the current space in City Hall, and the new location, despite its location away from downtown, would allow for more flexibility and provide better space for its workers and the public.

Currently the Planning & Development Services department and the Municipal Court are currently located at offices in the Riverfront Building which the city leases for about $300,000 per year. The 2000 Bluffs Drive location would consolidate its departments in one location.

Gwen Gigous, a representative with the firm Multistudio, said the Bluffs Drive location would cost under $200 per square foot to renovate, and would be the best opportunity for the city at this time.

Yet public commenters felt that the financial costs of moving from city hall did not outweigh the cultural and social costs of what could happen by moving the city hall from downtown.

Stephen Hill said when the location was voted on by Lawrence residents 44 years ago, the area was derelict. Leaders at the time hoped the new building could be an “anchor” to downtown and over the years, it is clear it’s been a “great decision.”

“This building opened up this end of town for redevelopment,” Hill said.

Multiple Lawrence organizations sent in emails to the city urging the commissioners to keep City Hall at the current downtown location. Downtown Lawrence Inc., the Lawrence Association of Neighborhoods and the East Lawrence Neighborhood Association sent public comment ahead of the meeting against the proposal to purchase the 2000 Bluffs Drive site and relocate city hall.

A few Downtown Lawrence business owners wrote emails to commissioners denouncing the potential move. Chuck Magerl, the proprietor of Free State Brewing Co., said Downtown Lawrence has a legacy of being the “heart and soul of one of the most livable and liveliest communities in the Midwest” and moving City Hall away from the area would take away part of the town’s character.

A couple commenters expressed they were getting emotional thinking about the potential loss of City Hall. Susan Tate noted that City Hall is “more than a collection of offices,” and every public commenter spoke against the possibility of uprooting the civic institution away from the heart of the city, and some feared what could happen if leaders decided to uproot from the current spot.

“Without a vibrant downtown supported by city leaders, we’ll become just like any other town,” one commenter said.