Lawrence considers selling downtown parking lot for senior housing development

The city-owned parking lot at 711 New Hampshire St. could be traded for 94 affordable senior apartments, if Lawrence commissioners approve selling the 0.71-acre site for $100,000, far below its $1,090,000 appraised value.

The proposal would replace Public Parking Lot #2 with a project from Merriam-based Cohen-Esrey Development Group serving renters age 55 and older. The city agenda report says the units would be affordable to households earning between 30% and 80% of area median income, with the affordability period lasting at least 30 years. The plan also includes ground-floor commercial space, tying the housing decision directly to the downtown retail and nightlife block around New Hampshire Street and Seventh Street.

That block is already home to Java Break, The Bottleneck, Rudy’s Pizzeria, Genovese, Sinker’s Lounge and Leroy’s Tavern, so the vote reaches beyond housing policy and into the daily traffic patterns of downtown Lawrence. City staff say the redevelopment would create a net loss of 74 public parking spaces, since the existing lot has 74 spaces of 2-hour free parking, including two ADA-accessible spaces and two electric vehicle charging stalls.

Under the current concept, the project would include 111 off-street spaces in an underground garage, with 101 private stalls for residents and 10 public spaces for visitors to the commercial space. City staff say nearby on-street parking and the Riverfront Parking Garage have enough capacity to absorb displaced demand, but the sale still amounts to a clear policy choice: less public parking in exchange for long-term housing in the urban core.

Lawrence first issued a Request for Information in 2023 seeking ideas for underused downtown parking lots, and Cohen-Esrey was selected through that process. The developer’s exclusivity agreement runs through June 2026, and city engagement materials say the company has asked for the lot to be donated to make the project financially workable. The city says no financial support has been given to date, and any future incentives would need separate commission approval.

The land transfer is also tied to financing. The purchase and sale agreement says closing cannot happen unless Cohen-Esrey simultaneously closes on Low-Income Housing Tax Credit financing. That makes the sale more than a land transaction: it is a test of whether Lawrence can convert a public asset into subsidized housing without taking on direct city debt.

The project has already evolved. Earlier materials from October 2024 described a six-story, 115-unit version with studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments and an estimated cost of about $37.4 million. The current 94-unit plan shows a scaled, senior-focused proposal, suggesting the developer and city have been adjusting the deal as financing and site details have moved forward.