Every school day, Martin Alvarez bikes his daughter from their home in North Lawrence to her classroom on Michigan Street in “mainland Lawrence,” as he called it.
Alvarez has lived in NoLaw for two years and said that their community is safe and bikeable, but it can be challenging, if not dangerous, to make it across the bridge. He’s hoping the city can improve bicycle infrastructure, and even connect NoLaw to the Lawrence Loop.
Alvarez was one of the many NoLaw residents and broader community members who attended an open house Wednesday night to cast their votes on priorities in the North Lawrence Corridor Study.
Folks perused poster boards with proposals for developments, traffic improvements and more, voting on their favorites and writing responses. Study organizers will continue to gather feedback through an online form that will be open for about two weeks.
The study is aimed at improving transportation and infrastructure, public spaces and economic revitalization in NoLaw, while preserving neighborhood culture. It also includes parts of Grant Township. The city is paying Kansas City, Missouri-based HNTB Corporation $400,000 to conduct the study.
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Bill Madsen, project manager with HNTB, said NoLaw residents are looking for creative, nonprescriptive ways to keep growing their neighborhood.
“The people that live in North Lawrence really love North Lawrence, really wanted to see it remain a unique community,” he said.
Alvarez said his family appreciates the freedom of NoLaw — there’s no homeowners association, it’s less noisy than other parts of the city, and he frequently walks and bikes.
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“North Lawrence has all the values that Lawrence has, but it feels like it’s its own little town,” he said.
Madsen said many people have gravitated towards proposals for recreation, strengthening access to the river and increasing safety around the railroad, potentially by rerouting it. He also said they want to support the local agricultural and food network.
Ann Frame Hertzog said that, being from Lawrence, she knew NLCS events would have high engagement. Hertzog is the infrastructure engagement director with Shockey Consulting, which is collaborating on the study.
She noticed that new folks show up at each event, but there’s a healthy contingent of regulars.
One of those repeat attendees was Mercedes Lucero. When she went to December’s open house, she had just purchased a home in NoLaw.
She moved in this February, and after six months in the neighborhood, her priorities for the study are coming into focus.
Lucero hopes the study balances leisure and safety, with a people-first mindset. They mentioned Iris Craver, who sat outside the event venue with multiple other neighbors, giving out “No Data Center” signs.
“North Lawrence will be developed, like, it’s going to be up to us how it will be developed,” she said. “Are we going to have data centers? Are we going to have walkable streets? Are we going to have affordable housing?”
The study is a balancing act, too, for Ellen Kearns, who has lived in NoLaw a combined total of 13 years.
One of the proposals is to put more multifamily housing along the riverfront behind Johnny’s. She said that, at first glance, she’s concerned about higher density along the levee trail impacting the environment.
“I would like to preserve the access to nature that you have on the levee trail, because there’s a lot of aquatic birds that are out there that you see,” she said. “Like you see all different types of herons.”
This past winter, she said she even saw a few pelicans. Kansas is on their migratory path.
However, Kearns said she also understands the need for more housing. She attended Wednesday to listen and learn, not nix any ideas, she said.
Daniel Dicks was also cogitating on riverfront access. A NoLaw resident of 25 years, he said he spends more time outdoors walking and biking since he retired.
“It’s just a real messy hodgepodge of disconnected sidewalks to me,” Dicks said.
Like Alvarez, he wanted a better way to get downtown than the river bridge. Although scenic, he noted the heavy traffic and exhaust fumes.
Dicks’ interest was also piqued by opportunities along the riverfront since the city bought the Springhill Suites.
“It really opens up the door to all kinds of great possibilities there to develop this full side, you know,” he said. “That even brings Loop through there, maybe, or something like that.”
Madsen said they are looking for feedback on the SpringHill Suites plot, but many folks have expressed that they don’t want the study to get too distracted with downtown.
Other proposals included converting the Tanger Outlet Mall to an I-70 business park with residences; implementing more safety measures along North Second Street for drivers and pedestrians; a permanent Lawrence Farmers Market location; a riverfront promenade; and more. See the full list of proposals, including potential developments, at this link.
Next, consultants will figure out priorities based on the public’s input and work on infrastructure and implementation recommendations. They’ll present those in early 2027.
They’re on track to finalize the plan in summer 2027.
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Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), reporter and news editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at [email protected].
Read their complete bio here. Read their work for the Times here.
Nathan Kramer (he/him), a multimedia student journalist for The Lawrence Times since August 2024, is a recent graduate of Free State High School. He also served as a news photo editor for Free State’s student publication, where he worked as a videographer, photographer and motion designer. See more of his work for the Times here.
