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Grant Avenue small-area plan proposes mixed-use, riverfront green space and playing fields
Summary
Consultants presenting a small-area plan funded by an EPA brownfields grant proposed mixed-use redevelopment, riverfront access improvements and multipurpose recreational fields along Grant Avenue; commissioners and staff discussed implementation, parcel inventories and a proposed Grant Avenue Committee.
Consultants from StanTech Consulting and the Flint Hills Regional Council presented the final recommendations from a small-area plan for the Grant Avenue corridor, stretching from Washington Street to the Republican River. The study, funded through an EPA Brownfields grant, recommends a mix of multifamily residential, retail and targeted commercial redevelopment, improvements to vehicular and pedestrian circulation, and enhanced riverfront access.
Wendy Van Dine of StanTech summarized the study’s approach: inventorying land use and environmental constraints, conducting a market analysis, and engaging residents and property owners through open houses and steering-committee workshops. The study identified three priority focus areas — the West Grant area near Grant and Washington, a flood-prone FEMA-site area suitable for resilient recreational uses, and the East Gateway near the Republican River — and proposed four illustrative concepts for redevelopment.
Key recommendations included encouraging multifamily housing just south of larger retail parcels, reconfiguring parking and turning movements near Grant and Washington to improve access to commercial sites, and creating green-space river outlooks and improved boat-launch amenities at the east end. For the flood-prone site, the consultants recommended resilient uses such as multipurpose playing fields, pickleball courts and pavilions that can withstand periodic flood events.
Consultants said they coordinated their work with a DCF grant application and with property owners, and that the final report will include parcel ownership inventories and a funding-implementation matrix. Commissioner Larson — a member of the study steering committee — participated in the discussion and commissioners emphasized the need for city leadership, parcel-level data and continued community engagement.
No regulatory changes were adopted at the meeting. Consultants recommended forming a Grant Avenue Committee of property and business owners to shepherd the next steps and identify grant opportunities; commissioners asked staff to receive the final report, publish the parcel inventory and explore the committee concept.
