photo by: Herron + Partners architects/City of Lawrence

A rendering shows the proposed design for a Q39 barbecue restaurant in downtown Lawrence.

Popular Kansas City barbecue restaurant Q39 is still on track to open in downtown Lawrence, a representative of the project has told me.

A bigger project that would develop next door in the former printing plant of the Journal-World, however, is now less certain to happen.

First, let’s deal with Q39 because people have been more nervous than the last guy in line at an all-you-can-eat buffet about whether the barbecue restaurant actually was still in the works.

As we reported in January, Q39 reached a deal to locate in a portion of the former Journal-World printing plant building near Sixth and New Hampshire streets. Specifically, the restaurant would locate in the southern end of the building in the portion that used to house the loading dock for the newspaper.

At one point the restaurant had said it would be open in the fall of this year, which means we should all be readying our wet wipes about now. That’s not happening, though, as construction work has not begun on the site.

Patrick Watkins, a Lawrence attorney who is working with Q39 on the project, told me the plan is now for an opening in the first half of 2025.

If you need some proof that the deal is still moving its way forward, here’s a solid piece: Q39 has bought the building. As we reported, the city approved a re-plat of the former Journal-World printing plant property into three separate lots. Q39 completed the purchase of the lot and building that will house the restaurant, Watkins confirmed.

A second sign that the project is moving forward is that members of the city’s Historic Resources Commission are scheduled to give final approval to the design of the restaurant’s facade on Thursday.

Here’s a look at a couple of renderings of what’s to come at the 639 New Hampshire site.

photo by: Herron + Partners architects/City of Lawrence

A rendering shows the proposed design for a Q39 barbecue restaurant in downtown Lawrence.

photo by: Herron + Partners architects/City of Lawrence

A rendering shows the proposed design for a Q39 barbecue restaurant in downtown Lawrence.

“It is great news for downtown,” Watkins said of Q39’s decision to move ahead with the project.

The decision comes as questions have emerged about whether noted Kansas City developer Vince Bryant will still move forward with a mixed-use project that would redevelop the rest of the former Journal-World printing plant building, which stretches from Sixth and New Hampshire all the way to Sixth and Massachusetts streets. Plans had called for high-end office space along part of the Massachusetts Street frontage, and a unique food hall and partially enclosed plaza area that would host everything from ice skating to outdoor concerts.

Watkins, who is working with Bryant on that project, confirmed to me that Bryant no longer has a contract to buy the former Journal-World building from its owners, the Simons family of Lawrence.

That contract expired, and the two parties were unable to reach an agreement on extending the terms of the contract, Watkins said.

One reason that deal has been slowed: The Kansas City Royals.

Kansas City media has reported that Bryant is one of the key developers behind the latest proposal to build a new stadium for the Royals in a part of downtown Kansas City between Union Station and Crown Center. Watkins said that project has likely had an impact on the timing of Bryant’s Lawrence proposal.

“It is a once-in-a-lifetime project,” Watkins said of the Royals stadium deal. “He had a full plate when he took on this project in Lawrence, and now he has had to divert attention and a significant amount of resources to bring baseball into downtown Kansas City.”

photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

A rendering of a proposed courtyard and open air entertainment area proposed for a portion of the former Journal-World printing plant property near Sixth and New Hampshire streets is shown. The rendering was shown to Downtown Lawrence Inc. members as part of a presentation regarding the proposed redevelopment of the former Journal-World printing plant property.

Watkins, however, stressed that Bryant didn’t walk away from the Lawrence deal. He was interested in extending the terms of the contract to purchase the former Journal-World printing plant.

“He would have loved to have more time to pull off his concept,” Watkins said.

In brief conversations I’ve had with a member of the Simons family and a representative for the property, the door hasn’t been closed on selling the property to Bryant, but the ownership group also wanted to have the ability to show the property to other interested buyers.

The property has largely been vacant since 2014 when the previous owners of the Journal-World closed the printing plant. (Full disclosure: The current owners of the Journal-World are not involved in the redevelopment. Ownership of the printing plant location remained with the previous owners of the Journal-World, the Simons family.)

While it is unclear what’s next, the property remains one worth keeping an eye on. It generally is regarded as one of the two largest private sites in downtown for potential redevelopment, with the other one being the former Allen Press property on the south end of downtown.

As for Q39, if you aren’t up to speed on that restaurant, it has locations in midtown KCMO and Overland Park. The locations cook a tremendous amount of brisket each day — one area visitors guide put the number at between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds per day — and then make a variety of creations from it. There are traditional brisket platters, but also smoked brisket nachos, a version of a French dip sandwich made with brisket, a burnt end burger, and one of its most popular offerings, the Mr. Burns, which features cubed burnt ends, chipotle barbecue sauce, pepper jack cheese, and onion straws on a toasted bun.

The restaurant was founded by Culinary Institute of America-trained chef Rob Magee in 2014. Magee got hooked on the competition barbecue circuit while working in the restaurant industry in Kansas City, and used that background to start the business. The restaurant is now led by Kelly Magee, Rob’s widow. She told the Journal-World earlier this year that she has long wanted to have a location in Lawrence. She’s a 1988 KU graduate, and has had multiple Lawrence ties, including children and parents who have lived here.

The site plans call for a mix of indoor and outdoor dining spaces at the location. In addition to the restaurant, Q39 will feature a full bar, including an outdoor bar area that is tied to the restaurant through large garage doors that create a mix of indoor and outdoor space.

The restaurant also is trying to get a unique piece of access. Watkins said Q39 is still working to win city approval to have signage on Massachusetts Street that directs pedestrians to walk through an existing alley that would lead from Massachusetts Street to a back entrance of the Q39 building. That approval hasn’t yet happened, as details about how the alley would be improved and how pedestrians could be safely separated from truck traffic that occurs in the alley must still be addressed.

Otherwise, though, the project has its major city approvals. The issues under consideration by the Historic Resources Commission are largely technical in nature. The property already has the proper zoning for a restaurant. If HRC approvals occur this week, Watkins predicted construction work would begin shortly.