Commission approves vacating utility easements for new K‑State Salina KAERIS building; project expected to bring tech jobs
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Summary
The City Commission unanimously approved a petition June 9 to vacate platted utility easements on campus property so Kansas State University can build a new KAERIS research facility at its Salina campus.
The Salina City Commission on June 9 approved an ordinance vacating several platted utility easements on Lot 8 of Shilling Subdivision No. 3, clearing the way for a proposed Kansas Artificial Intelligence Research and Imagination Studio (KAERIS) at the Kansas State University Salina campus.
City staff explained the easements cross the parcel selected for the KAERIS facility and that no public or franchise utilities occupied the affected easements; the statutory public hearing drew no objections from utilities or neighboring property owners because Kansas State University owns surrounding parcels. The commission voted 5–0 to adopt ordinance 25‑11248 vacating the north–south and east–west utility easements described in the staff packet.
Michael James, Kansas State Salina’s executive director for administration and finance, told the commission KAERIS is a proposed 47,000‑square‑foot center that would house Pure Imagination Labs after the company relocates from Southern California. “That building will hold a 120 personnel of which at least a 100 of those will be new jobs added to the Salina economy and most of those are programmers,” James said. He said posted positions are salary‑level openings in excess of $100,000 for many roles and that the university hopes to complete the building by June 2026, contingent on regulatory clearances and permits.
City staff noted K‑State projects are not subject to city building‑permit review in the same way as private development, but the campus receives city utilities and fire protection and city addressing coordination. The easement vacation permits the university’s site plan to move forward; the commission opened the statutory hearing, heard staff and university comment, closed the hearing, and adopted the ordinance. No member of the public testified against the petition.
Action: The commission approved ordinance 25‑11248 vacating the identified utility easements on Lot 8 in Block 1 of Shilling Subdivision No. 3; vote 5–0.
Next steps: K‑State will complete permit coordination and site work after receipt of outstanding state notices; the university’s representative said they expect to break ground once KDHE approvals and final coordination are complete and target ribbon cutting by June 2026.