By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Hays city commissioners will vote on whether to approve movement on three development projects at their Thursday meeting.
The projects are a proposed 136-unit apartment complex at Wheatland Ave. and East 22nd St., the $4.7 million rebuild and update of CERVS convenience store and fuel station at 3701 Vine, and the new Hays police and municipal court facility at 1100 Fort St.
DP Management, Omaha, Nebraska, presented its housing plan at last week's work session. The complex is going to cost $22 million for phase one, and $9.8 million for phase 2.
The developer is asking the city for a resolution of support in an application for a $650,000 moderate-income housing grant from the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation. Only local governments with populations less than 60,000 may apply for the grant funds.
As part of the proposed “Victory Village” apartment complex, 48 units would be market-rate housing, while 88 units would be low-income housing. DP Management is also asking Ellis County to submit an application for the low-income housing tax credits program.
A public hearing will be conducted Thursday on CERVS' request to impose a 1.5% community improvement district (CID) sales tax on the project site. The developer estimates the sales tax would generate about $895,000 for eligible expenses during the maximum 22-year term of the CID.
Following the public hearing, commissioners will vote on an ordinance establishing the district, levying the sales tax when the work begins, and approve the development agreement with the city.
City staff is also recommending the commission authorize City Manager Toby Dougherty to enter into a $182,000 agreement with PWC, Inc., Hays, for Phase 1 services related to the police station/municipal court facility design-build project.
Preliminary design is almost ready to begin for the $8 million renovation of the existing Astra Bank building, 1100 Fort, for the police and court facility, which has been sharing space at the Ellis County Law Enforcement Center, 105 W. 12th, since 1976.
Planning for such a new location has been underway for the last two years.
The complete Nov. 14 agenda is available here.
The meeting begins at 4 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.