The latest renderings for a building at 815 Vermont Street. Courtesy: Hernly Architects

It wasn’t that long ago that luxury living in downtown Lawrence meant being lucky enough to get one of the patio seats at Free State Brewery, or maybe getting a Mass. Street parking meter with a good half hour still left on it. But now there are actual luxury living units in downtown, and a proposed multistory project on Vermont Street is looking to up the stakes.

We reported in late June that former City Commissioner Bob Schumm had filed plans for a new multistory building in the 800 block of Vermont street that would house a mix of retail, offices and condos. Well, he’s tweaked those plans, and one of the tweaks involves the addition of a new 2,500 square foot, penthouse-style condominium overlooking downtown.

“I’m not going to say it is a luxury condo, but it definitely is in the upscale range,” said Schumm, who has been a longtime downtown property owner.

Schumm added the large condo — at 2,500 square feet, larger than a typical ranch-style home in the city — after trying to address some design concerns that came up regarding his previous proposal. The project is proposed for the two vacant lots just south of the Lucy Hobbs Taylor building at 809 Vermont St. That historically significant building dates back to 1871, which means Schumm’s project must pass a historic design review.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/814+Vermont+St,+Lawrence,+KS+66044/@38.968855,-95.2371015,3a,90y,244.31h,80.68t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sJTled3FwK34MccFr7FZTNA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DJTled3FwK34MccFr7FZTNA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D100%26h%3D80%26yaw%3D167.59283%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x87bf6f5b4cb3eed9:0x506bb1d970140d4e

Here’s a look at the new design, with the the previously proposed design following for comparison purposes.

The latest renderings for a building at 815 Vermont Street. Courtesy: Hernly Architects

Previously proposed design for building at 815 Vermont Street. Courtesy: Hernly Architects

“I think this design looks far superior,” Schumm said. “We tried to stair-step it back in front. I didn’t like the feeling of a big, blocky structure. We think it is less imposing and feels better.”

The stair-stepping of the building, though, meant the fifth floor became much smaller. So, Schumm decided instead of trying to put multiple small condos on the fifth floor, he would build one large one. Plans for the three-bedroom condo check in at 2.529 square feet, with access to a rooftop pool and three rooftop terraces.

The project, designed by Lawrence-based Hernly Associates, also will have 10 additional condos, ranging from an approximately 740 square-foot one-bedroom unit to an approximately 1,900 square-foot two bedroom condo. Other than the one fifth-floor unit, the other condos will be on floors three and four.

The second floor is planned to house a significant amount of office space. Plans show space for approximately 30 small offices that would share a lobby, a conference room and other amenities. Offices range from about 160 square feet to about 300 square feet. Schumm, who owns other office space in downtown, said he’s seeing strong demand for small office space as Lawrence’s startup business community gains momentum.

The ground floor is designed to accommodate up to three retail or office tenants. Schumm previously has said he’s in discussions with a bank — he hasn’t disclosed which one — to take one of the spots. Plans show the ground-floor spaces ranging in size from about 1,500 square feet to about 4,000 square feet.

The project also would include an underground parking garage that would accommodate 22 vehicles and would use a car elevator system rather than a traditional series of parking garage ramps.

The first step for the project is to win approval from the Historic Resources Commission. The project is scheduled for review at the 6:30 p.m. meeting on Thursday at City Hall. But it will be interesting to see if the project also ends up before the Lawrence City Commission seeking incentives. It has been tough for other projects to build an underground parking garage in downtown without seeking tax increment financing, industrial revenue bonds or other similar types of city incentives. Schumm hasn’t told me whether he plans to seek those types of incentives from City Hall.

If he does, it will be interesting to see how commissioners respond. Some on the commission have expressed concern about previous deals that have provided tax breaks for upscale apartment projects. But, there also has been a general theme at City Hall to create more living units in downtown, in hopes of making it a more vibrant 24/7 destination.

As for the idea of luxury living units in downtown, that trend also will be interesting to watch. Schumm’s project is a large one, but it is not the only one. The new Marriott hotel building at Ninth and New Hampshire streets includes two condo units on its top floor. Based on the real estate listings I’ve seen, there is an approximately 1,750 square-foot unit and a about a 1,300 square-foot unit. Of course, there’s also the Hobbs Taylor Loft building in the 700 block of New Hampshire Street that has several large, upscale condo units.

Here’s another look at another design rendering of the proposed Vermont Street project.

Courtesy: Hernly Architects

In other news and notes from around town:

• Here’s a new twist to the issue of filling Jeremy Farmer’s vacant seat on the Lawrence City Commission: The local chapter of the NAACP is urging the commission to use the appointment as a chance to put a minority on the board for the first time in a long time.

The NAACP has sent a letter to city commissioners urging them to use the upcoming appointment as a way to “change the face of Lawrence.”

“Including the expertise and lived experiences of African Americans in the development of policies promotes a healthy city,” board members write in a letter to city commissioners. “The commission cannot, indeed must not ignore the fact that while whites make up 78% of the Lawrence population, whites comprise 100% of the commission. At large voting does not contribute to a diverse commission — you can. Seize the opportunity.”

(Actually, the numbers I see from the Census Bureau put Lawrence at about 82 percent white, while blacks and Asians make up about 5 percent each of the population. American Indians are about 3 percent.)

The lack of minorities on the City Commission has been an issue that has come up before. I’ve noted on several occasions that, for example, there has never been a black mayor in Lawrence’s history. In the nearly 25 years I’ve covered the commission, there has never been a black city commissioner either. Rarely have minorities ever sought a seat on the commission.

City commissioners will discuss the appointment process at their regular weekly meeting at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday at City Hall.

• One item that won’t get discussed at Tuesday’s meeting is a plan to reduce the number of lanes on a portion of Kasold Drive. Commissioners originally had planned to discuss a plan to reduce from four lanes to two lanes the stretch of Kasold between Eighth Street and 14th Street. But when the City Commission appointment item was added to the agenda, commissioners decided to delay the Kasold Drive discussion. No word yet on when that issue may be back up for consideration. We’ll keep you posted.