Hutchinson economic director previews downtown housing, hotel demolition and new retail openings
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Summary
Miles Sebold outlined a slate of downtown projects: North Maple Apartments (two 44-unit buildings starting this spring), The Landing nearing exterior completion, Hotel Jorgensen slated for April demolition with street closures, plus new restaurants, mall retail and a full enterprise center pending council approval.
Miles Sebold, economic development director for the city of Hutchinson, outlined a series of downtown projects and retail openings that he said will affect housing, traffic and local business activity.
Sebold said construction on the North Maple Apartments — on the former Burns Manor site — is planned to begin in April or May, with two of the three proposed buildings (44 units each) set to be built this summer. "What's gonna happen is that 2 of them are gonna get built this summer, and both of those will be, 44 units," he said.
The Landing is progressing rapidly, he said, with windows and building wrap in place and roofing and electrical work underway. Sebold said the city expects to construct a stormwater pond on the northwest corner of that site in May. He described siding and garage access work that should make the building’s west side visibly complete soon.
Sebold also described several retail and hospitality changes: a substantial remodel of the Dairy Queen across from The Landing (new windows, signage and architectural features); a former Family Video store converting to a cannabis retailer, likely this summer; and a Thai restaurant expected to open in the former Zella’s location in late spring or summer.
On Main Street, Sebold said the Hotel Jorgensen demolition is scheduled for April. He said hazardous materials have been removed and the city is awaiting availability of a high-reach demolition excavator; demolition is expected to take four to six weeks once it begins. "So April, this will get going," he said, and added that Washington Avenue, the alley behind the hotel and adjacent parking and a travel lane will be closed during the work, with tall fencing to protect the public.
Sebold described a proposed pedestrian event space on 1st Avenue Southeast next to Library Square that would include decorative poles and zigzagging street lights to support community events; he emphasized the project is a proposal without funding lined up. He also said siding work on the River House should wrap up in weeks and that a downtown parking wayfinding signage project is in the pipeline for 2027.
On business occupancy, Sebold said the Hutchinson Enterprise Center in the Industrial Park is effectively full and is expected to be 100% occupied once the city council approves the pending tenant in the coming weeks. He encouraged interested residents to contact his office for more information.
The city’s timeline for several items is contingent on contractor availability and future council approvals; Sebold invited listeners to call with questions and said more details will be shared as they become available.
The next procedural step for several projects is city council consideration or contractor scheduling; Sebold said he expects council review for the Enterprise Center tenant in the next few weeks and that demolition and construction timelines are tied to equipment availability.
