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Hays sets public hearing for Lincoln School RHID to consider developers housing plan
Summary
The commission set a public hearing for an RHID at the former Lincoln School; staff said the developer proposes renovating the 100-year-old building into apartments and adding seven fourplexes, with estimated eligible costs of $4.3 million and projected 25-year increment revenue just over $1 million.
The City of Hays commission voted 5-0 June 25 to adopt resolution 2026-010 to set a public hearing on establishing a Reinvestment Housing Incentive District (RHID) for the former Lincoln School site. Deputy City Manager Colin Belzer said the next formal hearing and potential approval would occur in early August, followed by statutorily required notice periods to other taxing jurisdictions.
Belzer described the developer Mike Grahams concept to convert the existing 100-year-old Lincoln School into one- and two-bedroom apartments and to construct seven fourplexes on adjacent land. He summarized the districts financial picture: estimated 25-year incremental revenue of just over $1,000,000 against about $4,300,000 in eligible costs, and noted the RHID would be structured on a pay-as-you-go basis. "This project would clearly go for 25 years, but it does still mean the developers responsible for almost 80% of the project costs," Belzer said. Motion to adopt the resolution setting the public hearing was moved and seconded; the motion passed 5-0.
Staff told commissioners that existing infrastructure and state statute provisions allow eligible costs for improvements tied to existing buildings in this case; an IRB sales-tax exemption for construction materials may be requested by the developer later in the process. The commission scheduled the public hearing and directed staff to proceed with the development-plan process required by the RHID Act.
