Lawrence begins planning future of former Riverfront Mall site
Lawrence is already sketching the future of the former Riverfront Mall site before taking control, with a market, river access and taxpayer costs all on the table.
Lawrence is already weighing what could replace the former Riverfront Mall long before the city formally takes control of the building next year, turning one of downtown’s most visible properties into a high-stakes test of public cost, river access and redevelopment value.
City staff has begun talks with advisory boards and the Lawrence Farmers Market about possible uses for the site, which sits next to City Hall at the north edge of downtown and close to the Kansas River. The Lawrence City Commission approved the Riverfront settlement on May 12, opening the door for a property that many commissioners have described as a major chance to do something transformative with land that has long been tied to public services rather than retail. City spokesman Michael Leos said the city has already spoken with the market about the parking garage area, but stressed the idea remains in the very early stages.
The financial stakes are already clear. Under the settlement, the city and its contractors will pay $2.5 million in total, and the city will acquire the building for $325,000. SpringHill Suites by Marriott must vacate no later than April 5, 2027. The building, which opened in 1990 as a 150,000-square-foot outlet mall, has been under a different use for years: the city leased space there for Municipal Court and Planning & Development Services beginning in 2019 under a 10-year deal worth about $300,000 a year. In November 2024, the city said it would move 51 employees out of the building, including 38 Planning & Development Services staff and 13 Municipal Court employees, and it said it had notified the landlords on September 20, 2024, of its intent to leave.
What happens next could affect downtown traffic, public access to the river and the city’s long-term operating costs. City officials have said one option is demolition or a major redesign, which some local leaders see as a rare chance to reopen or improve the connection between downtown and the Kansas River. At the same time, the city must decide whether the property becomes a revenue-producing asset, a civic space or another public expense tied to maintenance, construction and planning.
The Lawrence Farmers Market gives the site added weight. It is the oldest operating farmers market in Kansas, founded in 1976 as a pop-up in the Chamber of Commerce parking lot, and it has been at 824 New Hampshire St. since 2008 without ever securing a permanent home. In 2025, commissioners discussed a permanent market concept that could include a pavilion, restrooms and parking, with up to $5.9 million for design and construction included in the long-term infrastructure plan if funded. By early 2026, the market’s project team had recommended South Park as a possible site, showing that Riverfront is one of several options still in play as Lawrence decides how much of downtown it wants to reshape, and who will pay for it.
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