photo by: Cynthia Hernandez/Journal-World

The north entrance of First Presbyterian Church, 2415 Clinton Parkway, is seen on Friday, March 22, 2024.

City Commissioners will once again consider a request from a local church to be added onto the Lawrence Register of Historic Places.

The commission will vote on approving the nomination for the First Presbyterian Church, located at 2415 Clinton Parkway, but this time only a portion of the church’s structure was nominated. The Historic Resources Commission voted in December to recommend approving the church to be on the historic register, noting the church’s “fenestration pattern, brick façade, and three door entry” were significant and should be protected, as well as its “12 Apostles windows,” according to a city memo.

The church had sought historic status before for the entire parcel of land it owns, but the commission in September voted against it because of concerns over the size of the parcel it would apply to and how other nearby properties would be affected, as the Journal-World reported.

Commissioners at the time expressed interest in designating the structure of the church itself as a landmark, but city code wouldn’t allow them to do that unless the church filed a new request just for its building.

That meeting in September was the second time commissioners considered a request for the church property to be listed as historic. The first time, in June 2024, commissioners voted to send the nomination back to the Historic Resources Commission, with some saying at the time they were concerned the church was attempting to use the city’s rules on historic properties to halt development in the area. A historic designation can spark additional layers of review for projects that are proposed near a historic property.

As the Journal-World reported, the church had sued the city in Douglas County District Court in late 2021 after a Dallas-based company proposed developing more than 60 duplexes on property across the street from the church. A judge ruled in favor of the city in June 2024.

In other business, commissioners will:

• Consider setting a public hearing to award tax incentives for the development of the Q39 restaurant development in downtown Lawrence

The developers of the award-winning Kansas City barbecue restaurant had requested in February a financial incentives package, including the creation of a special tax district and industrial revenue bonds, to help move the project forward. But the commission in February voted to defer the item, as the Journal-World reported.

Now, commissioners will consider setting a public hearing for May 6 for creating the special tax district to support the restaurant. The restaurant was beginning to work on renovations to the former Journal-World printing plant building near Sixth and New Hampshire streets in November for a larger project, but ended up seeking incentives for the restaurant after another developer dropped out for the renovation of the entire 70,000 square foot building, as the Journal-World reported.

Since the commission’s vote in February, a report by the consulting firm Baker Tilly found the project clearly needs the special tax district — which would subject sales made at the restaurant to a special 2% sales tax that is over and above the standard sales tax rate — to be feasible. With the incentives package, the project is projected to have a rate of return of about 4.8%, which Baker Tilley said is still below the 6% to 11% rate of return that most restaurant real estate projects expect, as the Journal-World reported.

• Consider authorizing the city to apply for national historical preservation status for the Municipal Stadium in East Lawrence’s Hobbs Park, with an aim to revitalize the structure and park.

The request comes from The Municipal Stadium in Hobbs Park Legacy Project, a group of local organizations including the East Lawrence Neighborhood Association, Watkins Museum of History and the Kaw Valley Kickball League. By having the stadium on the National Register of Historic Places, the city could utilize rehabilitation tax credits or grants to help restore the structure. A city memo noted the city previously used similar tax credits on the Santa Fe Depot, the Union Pacific Depot, and the Carnegie Building.

Both the Historic Resources Administrator and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board have unanimously voted to recommend the City Commission approve the application. Lynn Zollner, the city’s Historic Resources Administrator, previously said the stadium would be eligible for national historic status, as the Journal-World reported.

Andrew Stockmann, the curator of exhibitions at the Watkins Museum and head of the Legacy Project group, said the effort is centered on protecting the “community value and historical value” surrounding the stadium and park. Not only is the stadium used every week during the summer with the Kaw Valley Kickball League, but in his research through old Journal-World archives, he found the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues played there against the semi-pro Lawrence Colts in August 1949. That Monarchs team included future Hall of Fame manager Buck O’Neill, who became the first Black coach in Major League Baseball.

Stockmann estimated the cost for the application will be about $15,000, and the group plans to raise its own funds for the application. If the stadium achieves historic status, Stockmann said the Legacy Project hopes to analyze the structure’s concrete seating bowl to make improvements and possibly restore features that used to be at the stadium, such as a concession stand or in-ground dugouts.

Along with the stadium’s historic status, the group also hopes to get the Murphy-Bromelsick House, on the northwest corner of Hobbs Park, listed on the Kansas Register of Historic Places.

City commissioners will meet at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday at Lawrence City Hall.