9th Street businesses ask people to keep shopping local as long-term road closure looms

The City of Lawrence will close a block of Ninth Street for the Jayhawk Watershed project next week, and an impacted business is asking folks to make the slightly longer trek to their front doors to shop local this season.

Starting Monday, Dec. 1, Ninth Street between Indiana and Louisiana Streets will be fully closed to traffic for the city’s Jayhawk Watershed Project. 

Storefronts on this stretch include 9th Street Mexican Tacos, Fork & Tumbler and Owens Flower Shop along the north side of the street, and The Janssen Clinic, Bowersock Capital Partners and a branch of the Central National Bank to the south.

All businesses will remain open throughout construction and will still be accessible to customers, per a city news release. There will be no parking available on Ninth Street. A banner on the project’s website on Wednesday stated that “The City is working with property owners in the area to secure additional off-street parking. We hope to provide an update soon.”

Kristin Spacek, owner of Owens Flower Shop at 846 Indiana St., said she believes the sidewalk will be open, but there is still discussion about whether there will be a barricade, like a chain-link fence, to protect pedestrians from construction on the street. The city’s project team was out of office for the Thanksgiving holiday and could not be reached Wednesday to confirm.

Spacek also said that customers should be able to reach the business via Indiana Street coming from the north, and that the Owens Flower Shop parking lot will be open. Fork & Tumbler customers are able to use those parking spaces when the flower shop closes after 5:30 p.m. on days the small plates and cocktails restaurant is open. 

These details may change, and the city will provide parking maps and access information as available at this link, per its news release. 

The city estimates that this closure will last into spring 2026 before extending along Ninth Street toward Mississippi Street.

Jayhawk Watershed Project and local businesses

The block closure on Ninth Street is the next phase of work on the Jayhawk Watershed Project, which was “created in response to ongoing localized flooding that has created concerns for residents and businesses in the area for decades” west of downtown Lawrence, per the city release. The project kicked off in late March 2025 with closures and construction along Eighth and Tennessee Streets.

Through the project, the city plans improve stormwater infrastructure to address flooding and drainage; replace or upgrade sanitary sewers and water mains; reconfigure Ninth Street from four to three lanes between Illinois and Kentucky Streets; and improve safety and walkability with ADA-compliant sidewalks, wider bike lanes, a “pedestrian hybrid beacon” and more.

The total budget for the Jayhawk Watershed Middle Reach project is currently $24.2 million, with a construction budget of $20.6 million, according to Michael Leos, a spokesperson for the city’s Municipal Services and Operations department.

The city will get $14.5 million from the tax incentive district that commissioners approved for the KU Gateway project; $13.5 million of that money is also budgeted for Jayhawk Watershed and Mississippi Street improvements. 

This fall, Nick Hoyt, a city engineering program manager, told Ninth Street businesses to prepare for closures on the street as soon as December. Although Dec. 1 closures have been confirmed, the phasing plan for the Ninth Street portion of the project is still up in the air.

Hoyt announced two proposals to businesses owners and staff on Oct. 30 for completing the Ninth Street portion of the project.

Under Option 1, portions of Ninth Street would close once, for approximately eight months — from December 2025 through July 2026. 

Under Option 2, portions of the street would instead be closed for two five-month periods, from December 2025 through April 2026, and again from December 2026 through April 2027. 

Some business owners, such as Rob Coleman and Brad Walters of Fork & Tumbler at 616 W. Ninth St., responded with alarm. They felt the announcement was too abrupt and the city wasn’t doing enough to ensure businesses would be supported if they faced decreased revenue. 

City staff members sent surveys to business owners and employees to gauge which strategy they prefer. Folks had through Nov. 7 to fill out the survey, and the city received 17 responses. Ten respondents preferred Option 1, three preferred Option 2, and four had no preference. Survey respondents also indicated that they want the city to prioritize making the closure as short as possible.

Next, the project team will share survey results with Lawrence city commissioners, who will need to approve a change order, which will also include any potential phasing or schedule changes. 

Leos said the full Jayhawk Watershed Project is moving forward with its original schedule, and it’s expected to be complete by early 2027.

“That project schedule includes 9th Street being closed from December 1st through Summer of 2026,” he wrote via email. “This aligns with feedback we received from businesses along 9th St. as well as other considerations.”

Leos said he anticipates a project update at the Tuesday, Dec. 9 city commission meeting.

Coleman still fears that construction could spell closure for the restaurant. He said he still lacks answers from the city to key questions, like how delivery drivers will access their business. The project team couldn’t be reached Wednesday to respond.

Spacek said the Owners Flower Shop team, busy with Thanksgiving orders this week, is trying to stay positive.

“I understand that it needs to happen, you know, so the businesses don’t flood, and the main thing doesn’t just collapse,” she said. “I think the most important part is that the city communicates with us as far as how to tell our customers how to get to us.”

She said she’s had multiple meetings with members of city staff and hopes they will provide direct, weekly updates on any changes throughout construction. That way, she can proactively communicate with customers via social media and the store’s website.

Although it’s going to be colder and folks might be less inclined to walk further to the front door, Spacek hopes her beloved Lawrence community will keep supporting homegrown businesses.

“Just because we’re going under the construction, you know, please don’t just use somebody else because it’s more convenient,” she said. “Shop local, support your local businesses.”

Detours and bus routes for the closure

Through traffic on Ninth Street will be directed to Sixth Street between Iowa and Tennessee/Kentucky, according to the city’s project guide.

Lawrence Transit’s Route 3 will be detoured starting Monday, with buses taking 11th Street between Ohio and Mississippi Streets. Here’s a map of the changes, courtesy of Lawrence Transit:

For northbound Route 3, stops No. 208 (at Ninth and Ohio Streets) and No. 209 (at Ninth and Mississippi Streets) will be closed. The city will put a temporary stop on Ohio Street south of Ninth Street near Great Harvest Bakery and Cafe, 501 W. Ninth St., and on Ninth Street across from Burrito King, near Rick’s Place, 846 Illinois St.

Along southbound Route 3, stop No. 343 (at Ninth and Mississippi Streets) will be closed. The city will put a temporary stop on Ninth Street near Mississippi Street, by Cork & Barrel, 901 Mississippi St.

Read more about Lawrence Transit deviations at this link.

Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), reporter and news editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at wulfe@lawrencekstimes.com.

Read their complete bio here. Read their work for the Times here.

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