Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday will consider purchasing for $2.1 million — with an expected $21 million in renovations to follow — the former newspaper printing press building downtown, to be used as a city hall annex.
City of Lawrence staff members “negotiated a purchase agreement for the acquisition of 609 New Hampshire and (630) Massachusetts streets, commonly known as the former Lawrence Journal World printing press facility,” according to the agenda for the commission’s June 2 meeting.
“The City has already conducted an extensive assessment of the property’s structural, mechanical, and environmental condition. Should the City Commission vote to approve the purchase, staff will move to close the transaction by July 20, 2026, pursuant”, the sentence in the memo cuts off.
The current City Hall, at 6 E. Sixth St., was built in 1980. It’s about 35,500 square feet, which city staff members and consultants with local design studio Multistudio say is no longer enough space for staff.
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Commissioners in 2024 considered purchasing a building near Sixth and Iowa streets to become the new city hall. After hearing from more than 30 people, almost all in opposition, they ultimately voted against that plan and opted to keep city hall downtown.
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“It’s clear that this 1980s building is not sufficient anymore, that expanding this building doesn’t make sense,” then-Commissioner, now-Mayor Brad Finkeldei said at the time. “Keeping this building might make sense. It’s going to be pretty expensive, and we’ll still need a second location.”
The former printing press building is approximately 57,000 square feet across multiple levels, “providing flexibility for department consolidation and future expansion,” city staff members wrote in their memo to the commission.
Details of plans and phasing for the $21 million in anticipated renovations will be presented to the commission at a later date, according to the agenda.
Staff members wrote that “The World Building represents a long-term investment in downtown vitality and operational efficiency by reusing an existing downtown structure to meet City space needs and improving accessibility to public services.”
The commission last month agreed to a settlement in a lawsuit that will include the city purchasing the Riverfront building for $325,000; however, city staff members implied that the best course of action for the building might be demolition.
“Removal of the Building, for example, may grant the community unparalleled access to the Kansas River for use by the residents of Lawrence for recreation purposes, for civic purposes, for a nature park, or the like; all of which would allow for revitalization and reimagining of the northern portion of our beautiful Downtown,” a memo to the commission last month stated. “The City looks forward to exploring those possibilities with the community.”
609 New Hampshire St. and 630 Massachusetts St. are owned by The World Company, which the Simons family owns, according to public records.
Until the settlement agreement is final, which will be on or before April 5, 2027, the Riverfront building is owned by lawsuit plaintiffs La Posada Group LLC, BC Lynd Hospitality LLC and Riverfront LLC. The latter is registered to Dolph C. Simons III Revocable Trust and Dan C. Simons.
Alarm.com had planned to purchase the old printing press building but has changed plans and now intends to renovate the building at 714 Vermont St. into its office space.
Attorneys for the company filed an application for tax incentives from the city, first to redevelop the building at 630 Massachusetts St., but “Following further evaluation, the building at 630 Massachusetts Street was determined not to be a suitable fit for the proposed project,” according to a memo to the commission.
Alarm.com is seeking the creation of a neighborhood revitalization district and industrial revenue bonds to finance construction at 714 Vermont St. The incentives have not yet been approved.
Meeting info
Lawrence city commissioners will meet Tuesday, June 2 at Lawrence City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St. The meeting is set to open with two half-hour executive sessions, so the regular meeting will likely begin at or after 6 p.m.
The commission accepts written public comment emailed to [email protected] until noon the day of meetings. The commission also hears live public comment during meetings, both in person and virtually.
City commission meetings are no longer livestreamed on YouTube. In order to watch the meeting online remotely, attendees must join via Zoom at this link, which also allows participants to provide public comment virtually. Meeting recordings are uploaded to the city’s YouTube channel the next day.
See the commission’s complete meeting agenda at this link. See the city hall annex agenda item at this link.
Note: Post updated to add more information at 10:27 p.m. Thursday, May 28
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at [email protected]. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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