Post updated at 2:24 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12:
Lawrence’s Municipal Court and the Planning and Development Services department are moving out of Riverfront Plaza and into Lawrence City Hall.
“That move is occurring due to the City’s departure from the riverfront building,” Cori Wallace, a spokesperson for the city, said via email Monday.
The City of Lawrence owns the land where Riverfront Plaza is located, but the building is owned by Riverfront LLC, which is registered to Dolph Simons III and Dan Simons.
The city has been leasing office space for municipal court and the planning department since early 2019 for $300,000 per year. The lease doesn’t end until 2028, according to information provided to the Lawrence City Commission when they were considering purchasing a building near Sixth and Iowa streets to serve as the new city hall.
“The decision to depart from the Riverfront lease became official on September 20, following the City’s notification to the landlord regarding our intent to vacate,” according to a news release sent out Tuesday after this article was published. “The process of adjusting services and relocating staff is now underway, affecting approximately 13 Municipal Court employees and 38 PDS employees, totaling 51 Riverfront-located City employees. Further, the City is currently evaluating the contractual lease obligations associated with this transition and will provide additional updates as details are finalized.”
The current City Hall, at 6 E. Sixth St., was built in 1980. City staff members and consultants with local design studio Multistudio have said the building is no longer enough space for staff, even with municipal court and the planning department housed in the Riverfront building.
The commission ultimately voted against the purchase, though they acknowledged the city would likely still need to find a second space downtown.
With the move, municipal court proceedings will occur in the city commission chambers, and all court employees will be housed at city hall, Wallace said. The window for court transactions will also be on the first floor. The location change will start Monday, Nov. 25.
The city’s utility billing office will move to the ground floor of city hall with a counter window on Monday, Nov. 18, “ensuring residents have a single, accessible location for payments and billing inquiries,” according to the release.
The general information window will move to the ground floor on Friday, Nov. 15. The planning department will move transactions to the ground floor of city hall as well, likely by Dec. 6, according to the release.
“More details will be provided when we have identified the first day of service at City Hall,” according to the release.
Some of the city’s advisory boards have typically met in the city commission room. Those meeting locations could change; keep an eye on the city’s agenda portal for updates. The Lawrence City Commission will continue to meet in the commission room.
The owners of Riverfront LLC, as well as owners of La Posada Group LLC and BC Lynd Hospitality LLC that operate SpringHill Suites, filed a lawsuit in February against the city and several contractors alleging negligence and property damage related to a construction project along the bank of the Kansas River adjacent to the Riverfront Plaza.
The city and contractors have denied those allegations. The case is ongoing, with a jury trial currently set for 2026.
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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