By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
“We did not get any qualified RFPs (Requests For Proposals) for the West 10th Street development,” Assistant City Manager Jacob Wood told city commissioners last week.
The city-owned property on the north side of West 10th between Elm and Ash Streets, plus a lease for adjacent parking, is available for free to the developer selected by the city.
“We did receive one submittal from a company which is qualified and I think has the financial backing, but they did not have a development plan included.” Wood said he would reach out to the company to see whether they have such a plan.
The city was hoping for “any kind of mixed-use development, such as a retail store on the bottom floor and apartments up above, multi-family residential, or a commercial development,” Wood said back in September when the RFPs were sent out and placed on the city’s website.
The location, just north of the railroad tracks and within easy walking distance of Fort Hays State University (FHSU) and the downtown Hays commercial district, was previously owned by Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR).
“It just seems like nobody is interested in it,” said Commissioner Shaun Musil. “Everybody always seem to want retail or housing. Maybe we need to go in a different way.”
“Free land, but nobody took us up on it, makes me rethink every time I hear from somebody that Hays is not developing because of land prices,” Mayor James Meier said. “The small amount of land we’re talking about is so oddly shaped, we have to take that into consideration.”
“If want to see anything happen down there, we have an organization that we’re giving money to (Downtown Hays Development Corporation), and I’d love to hear what they have to say about it. Maybe that’s something they need to be taking the lead in,” Meier continued. “It’d also be interesting to talk about this more in-depth when we have a discussion about the money that was returned to us by the Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development.”
Meier said he wasn’t really surprised by the lack of interest. “I thought we would get one,” said Vice-Mayor Henry Schwaller. “I did too,” echoed Commissioner Sandy Jacobs.
‘It’s not usable land,” Meier added. “That’s why you can’t compare it to somebody saying land is too high-priced on Vine Street,” said Jacobs, “I just don’t think there’s any comparison.” Meier then agreed.
“It is an unusual location but the size of the lot doesn’t matter,” Schwaller said. “In Hays, we have a particular thing we like building–duplexes–it’s a cookie-cutter approach to development which would not work there. This takes a different approach we’re not used to doing here. I think we just continue to work on this, provide the resources, be a catalyst for it and work with the DHDC. They’re our lead partner. If they can make it happen, great.
“We don’t have to give it away today. We’ve had the land a long time.”
New city commissioner Chris Dinkel said the location “limits options on what will be viable there. Retail is going to be a joke. It’s not close enough to anything. You can’t be a destination on your own. It’s going to have to be something residential.”
Musil said he didn’t think the city commission should be pushing for people to build apartments in town. “To me that doesn’t really help the public if we’re saying we’ll give you this land to build apartments. Only one person is going to benefit from that.”
Jacobs, a DHDC board member, agreed with Musil that different options should be considered and said DHDC is doing that.
“We believe there can be destinations in downtown Hays,” she emphasized. “I believe Paisley Pear (owned by Musil) is a destination. Gella’s is a destination.”
“But those are on a corridor,” pointed out Dinkel. “This area isn’t that far off, in my opinion,” Jacobs countered.
She told her fellow commissioners she thinks the “piece that could connect all of this is the old Home Party Club (more recently called Fire and Ice and located at 229 W. 10th.) The price for that has come way, way down. I think there’s potential in that,” Jacobs said. “Somebody should be thinking outside the box–entertainment, something for kids, a skating rink. I don’t know what it is.
“We want more entertainment. We want more restaurants. We want more things that bring people to downtown, as a gathering place. The more of that you have, the more sales tax we’re going to generate and that’s what we’re looking for.”
The city of Hays’ General Fund is financed primarily by the city sales tax.
Jacobs said DHDC has had some strategic planning meetings FHSU and “brought that back to the table. They’re going to work with the university and try to develop some new steps in the DHDC strategic plan.” I think there’s some really good stuff happening right now and if we as the city commission keep talking and welcoming ideas, I think things will happen.”
Schwaller agreed with Dinkel that “traditional retail” won’t work in the location but he sees some “opportunities there that are not being met that students would like. The location is ideal for another delivery-eatery that doesn’t exist. And, I’ve been looking at some franchises that would like to be right there. So, we’ll leave it up to the developer,” Schwaller concluded. “Who knows what they’ll do?”
The property is in the Neighborhood Revitalization Program, an area eligible for property tax rebates on the increased value of the property once the project is complete.
“It’s got to be affordable retail and relevant if you want college kids in there, added Musil, “and that’s what we have down there.”
“We can’t be cookie cutter and do what’s worked in Salina or for Pittsburg with Pittsburg State University. We’ve got to figure out what’s going to work for us in Hays,” Mayor Meier said.