photo by: Core Spaces, Antunovich Associates

This conceptual rendering, dated Feb. 15, 2019, shows a revised design for the Hub on Campus apartment and retail building proposed for the corner of 11th and Massachusetts streets in downtown Lawrence. This view faces northeast from the intersection. The Watkins Museum of History would be out of frame at left, and the Douglas County Courthouse would be out of frame at right.

City leaders will soon consider controversial plans to build a five-story apartment and retail building near the southern entrance of downtown Lawrence.

The Hub at Lawrence would stretch the width of the block between Massachusetts and New Hampshire streets and include more than 550 bedrooms targeted to college students. Due primarily to the main building’s height and size, the city’s historic preservation board recently denied the project two required certifications. Developers appealed that decision to the Lawrence City Commission, which will consider the appeal as part of its meeting Tuesday.

The developers, Chicago-based Core Spaces, are proposing the demolition of the existing buildings at 1040 Massachusetts Street and 1041 New Hampshire Street and the construction of two buildings. The primary building would be the five-story apartment building with ground-level retail space along Massachusetts Street and the secondary building a three-level parking garage and mixed-use structure on the east side of New Hampshire Street.

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The main building spans the alley and covers nine original town-site lots, according to a city staff memo to the commission. City staff is recommending that the City Commission uphold the Historic Resources Commission’s decision and deny the two required certifications due to the project’s size. The City Commission must use the same design criteria as the HRC, but makes its own unilateral decision.

Last month, the HRC voted unanimously to deny a certificate of appropriateness for the project, finding instead that the project would encroach upon, damage and destroy the environs of three nearby historic buildings: the English Lutheran Church, the Douglas County Courthouse and the former bank building that currently houses the Watkins Museum. The HRC also voted unanimously that the project does not comply with the city’s downtown design guidelines.

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The City Commission must review the project using the standards and design criteria identified in city code regarding the certificate of appropriateness. The memo states the project’s greatest challenge is its height, mass, and scale, noting that the building’s “block of mass” is not characteristic of the environs of the historic properties. The memo adds that while the courthouse is a large mass, it is a civic structure on a large lot and is meant to be the dominant structure of the area.

The design criteria state that as a general rule, the height of new construction should be “roughly equal” to the average height of existing buildings on the street from the historic period. Regarding massing, the criteria state to avoid single, monolithic forms that are not relieved by massing variations common on most historic buildings. Regarding scale, the criteria state to avoid buildings that violate the existing scale of the area in height, width or massing.

photo by: City of Lawrence

Illustrative design criterion for height is pictured from chapter 22 of the City of Lawrence code, also known as the Conservation of Historic Resources Code.

photo by: City of Lawrence

Illustrative design criterion for scale is pictured from chapter 22 of the City of Lawrence code, also known as the Conservation of Historic Resources Code.

photo by: City of Lawrence

Illustrative design criterion for massing is pictured from chapter 22 of the City of Lawrence code, also known as the Conservation of Historic Resources Code.

The developer also appealed the HRC’s determination that the project does not meet the intent of the Downtown Design Guidelines, which cover elements such as urban design principles, block elements, building materials and commercial storefronts. The guidelines comprise about 120 pages; however, the guidelines state they are not meant to dictate design choices or serve as a checklist for “good” design. Instead, the guidelines are meant to ensure new construction and renovation is consistent with downtown’s character-defining elements.

The project meets or partially meets the vast majority of the design guidelines, but failed to meet a handful of the new construction guidelines that the staff report to the HRC describes as significant. Specifically, the staff report states that the project is not compatible with the size, scale, massing and height of the downtown district. Having the building partially cover the alley and not having commercial uses at the ground level on the east half of 11th Street or on New Hampshire Street are problematic, according to the report. The report also states the project has some positive benefits for downtown, including opportunities for new commercial entities and new residents for the downtown area.

The project has generated substantial public debate, and the HRC heard nearly an hour of public comment ahead of its vote. As of Friday afternoon, the City Commission had already received about 150 pages of correspondence regarding the project, most of which is in opposition. However, Downtown Lawrence Inc. Executive Director Sally Zogry previously told the HRC that a majority of the organization’s more than 200 member businesses were in favor of the project because dense residential development and additional retail space would be beneficial.

The City Commission will convene at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St.

More renderings of the proposed project

photo by: Core Spaces, Antunovich Associates

This conceptual rendering, dated Feb. 15, 2019, shows a revised design for the Hub on Campus apartment and retail building proposed for the corner of 11th and Massachusetts streets in downtown Lawrence. The Watkins Museum of History is visible at left in this view looking northeast from the south side of 11th Street.

photo by: Core Spaces, Antunovich Associates

This conceptual rendering, dated Feb. 15, 2019, shows a revised design for the Hub on Campus apartment and retail building proposed for the corner of 11th and Massachusetts streets in downtown Lawrence. This view, facing southeast, shows the Massachusetts Street side of the building that would sit next to the building that currently houses Einstein Bros and the Granada, represented at left by the green-topped building. The Douglas County Courthouse is visible at right on the southeast end of the intersection at 11th and Massachusetts.

photo by: Core Spaces, Antunovich Associates

This conceptual rendering, dated Feb. 15, 2019, shows a revised design for the Hub on Campus apartment and retail building proposed for the corner of 11th and Massachusetts streets in downtown Lawrence. This view, facing east, shows the Massachusetts Street side of the building, which would be visible from the opposite side of the street near Watkins Museum of History.

photo by: Core Spaces, Antunovich Associates

This conceptual rendering, dated Feb. 15, 2019, shows a revised design for the Hub on Campus apartment and retail building proposed for the block of 11th Street between Massachusetts and New Hampshire streets in downtown Lawrence. This view, facing northwest from 11th Street, shows the building at the corner of New Hampshire Street, with the Watkins Museum of History and Massachusetts street visible at far left.

photo by: Core Spaces, Antunovich Associates

This conceptual rendering, dated Feb. 15, 2019, shows a revised design for the Hub on Campus apartment and retail building proposed for the block between Massachusetts and New Hampshire Streets along 11th Street in downtown Lawrence. This view, facing north, shows the building along New Hampshire Street, with the historic church on the east side of 11th and New Hampshire visible at right.

photo by: Core Spaces, Antunovich Associates

This conceptual rendering, dated Feb. 15, 2019, shows a revised design for the Hub on Campus apartment and retail building proposed for the corner of 11th and Massachusetts streets in downtown Lawrence. This view shows the south side of the main building along 11th Street, including a cutout in the middle of the building, at center, to allow for access to the existing alleyway between Massachusetts and New Hampshire Streets.

photo by: Core Spaces, Antunovich Associates

This conceptual rendering, dated Feb. 15, 2019, shows a revised design for the parking garage and townhouses along New Hampshire Street that will accompany the Hub on Campus apartment and retail building proposed for the corner of 11th and Massachusetts streets in downtown Lawrence. This view, facing east, shows the south end of the garage and townhouses, which will sit next to the church, represented by the red brick building at right.