By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
A portion of 13th Street that was originally to be widened to three lanes for better traffic flow in connection with the construction of the new Hays High School will not be widened.
The current high school will be remodeled into a new middle school. The new high school is being built adjacent to the existing facility.
There was only one bidder on the 13th Street reconstruction project. The bid from APAC-Kansas, Hays, was about $500,000 over budget for the city’s share of the project.
Originally, 13th Street was to be widened from Anthony Drive to Commerce Parkway.
Jarrod Kuckelman, management analyst, said the project scope will be downsized. Thirteenth Street will be widened from Anthony Drive to Tallgrass Drive. At that point, the current two-lane road will remain in place east to Commerce Parkway.
In the revised plan, box culvert work will not be necessary.
"There are no traffic safety concerns about the reduction," Kuckelman said. "We were most concerned about the Anthony to Tallgrass portion being widened to accommodate the anticipated traffic increase."
The city’s portion of the project is now $2.2 million, which is $61,000 under budget. The project will be funded with cash from city capital reserves, funds from Ellis County, a cost-share grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation and USD 489 funds.
City work includes reconstructing the road from Anthony Drive to Commerce Parkway, widening sections of East 13th Street from two to three lanes, installing a multi-use path along the north side of the entire project, and milling and overlaying the entire roadway.
USD 489’s portion of the project is $763,000. The total project cost is $3 million.
The school district will be responsible for the addition of two right-turn lanes, pedestrian crossings, and upgraded signals at 13th and Canterbury.
The revised project is scheduled to be completed by the start of the fall 2025 school year when the new high school is set to open.
The city commission will discuss the bid award at its work session on Thursday.
The commission will also discuss funds for the 27th and Main Street development project. Astra Bank is relocating and building a new facility on that site.
The city will pay 100% of the costs to construct the stormwater management infrastructure and 50% of the costs to build 26th Street through the development.
The $89,000 for the stormwater retention infrastructure would come from the stormwater reserve funds, and the $205,050 city share of the street is proposed to be taken from the city's capital reserve funds.
The city of Hays has purchased the existing Astra Bank building to redevelop it as a new police station and municipal court facility.
Commissioners also will discuss an ordinance that would establish a Reinvestment Housing Incentive District (RHID) and adopt a plan for development of housing and public facilities at 10th and Walnut.
Hays developer Michael Graham Rentals is proposing to build 48 apartments on the site of the former railroad depot parking lot in downtown Hays.
The district would be expected to generate about $1.1 million of revenue during the maximum 25-year term. It would be made available to reimburse the developer for an estimated $692,000 in RHID-eligible project costs on a pay-as-you-go basis. The RHID collection would end upon the earlier of 25 years or full reimbursement of all RHID-eligible project costs.
The commission will discuss funds for another development project in downtown Hays.
The Kansas Department of Commerce has awarded the city a $300,000 Commercial Rehabilitation Community Development Block Grant on behalf of Chestnut Suites at 1108 N. Main and Hays developer Adam Pray.
The former Hays State Bank building, which is being used for the project, was constructed in 1965 and has been vacant for 40 years.
Pray plans to redevelop the existing building into a new luxury short-term rental Airbnb location called Chestnut Suites with 24 to 26 rooms. The rooms will be designed similar to those of traditional hotels.
The complete Sept. 19 agenda is available here.
The work session begins at 4 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.