A chronological list of press, editorials, public letters…

• October 2, 2020 | After years-long effort, East Ninth Street public art project to hold scattered, outdoor party to celebrate its completion      “A public art project that once divided neighbors is now hoping that the culmination of the long-running effort can bring the whole community together for an outdoor event of art, live music and free food. “
• February 27, 2019 | East Ninth Project will expand beyond roadway “As part of the new version of the project, Enfield said that in addition to East Ninth Street, art could potentially be placed in city right-of-way or on publicly accessible private property anywhere in East Lawrence.”
• November 23, 2018 | Meeting to gather input for East 9th St. project “The main reason we’re having these input sessions is because this is a community art project, community input is absolutely essential to the success of it,” Enfield said. “That’s something that we’ve learned going through this process over the last several years.”
• January 27, 2018 | New framework for the E. 9th St. project proposed “The Lawrence Arts Center, with input from members of the East Lawrence Neighborhood Association, has created a draft proposal that establishes a loose framework, budget and timeline for the long-running project.”
• August 7, 2017 | After rejecting $320,000 design for East Ninth Street, city set to spend more money for new plans “After the original design was rejected, additional funding to create a new design for the reconstruction of East Ninth Street is set to move forward. “
• June 22, 2017 | Editorial: Ninth St. plan finally advances “The basic plan will cost about $2.2 million as opposed to the estimated $3.8 million project cost for the arts corridor. The basic plan appears to be more in line with what a majority of the residents in the area preferred.”
• June 21, 2017 | City Commission approves basic street design for East Ninth Street “The Lawrence City Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to proceed with a basic street design concept for the project, foregoing a previous concept that integrated public art and other artistic elements. “
• February 9, 2017 | Scaled-down East Ninth to come before City Commission        “After being excluded from the City of Lawrence budget for this year and a subsequent months-long absence from the public stage, the contentious East Ninth Project is set to re-emerge.
• July 19, 2016 | Lawrence City Commission maximum budget would mill levy increase  “At the commission’s July 12 meeting, three commissioners indicated they wanted to alter current designs for the East Ninth Project to reduce it in scope — and cost.”

• July 12, 2016 | Commissioners, public criticize staff cuts in Lawrence City Manager’s budget proposal “The legacy we’re facing right now is, in a period of about 30 days, we’re defunding the Arts Center; we’re removing the director of arts and culture; we’re canning a public art project — congratulations, we just became Topeka, Kansas,” Commissioner Herbert said to some applause and laughs. “I live in Lawrence because it’s not Topeka, Kansas. I don’t want my legacy to be that I helped to make Lawrence Topeka.”

• July 11, 2016 | Lawrence City Commission to again review East Ninth project “If you decide to issue the funding, that would mean we’d have to go into the CIP [capital improvement plan] and pull it out in other items we’ve recommended for funding,” Markus said at the commission’s May 24 meeting.”

• May 25, 2016 | Arts Center CEO confident East Ninth project will move forward “When some East Lawrence residents asked commissioners to scale back the project or reconsider it altogether, others, in support of the plan, wondered about the city’s reputation if it had to return the major national grant. “

• May 25, 2016 | Commission undecided on East Ninth project  “After nearly four hours of hearing what Lawrence residents thought about the project to change East Ninth Street into an arts corridor, the City Commission — with not enough votes to move its design forward — voted to study it further in coming weeks.”

• May 23, 2016 | Special Report from Live Tv Live

• May 23, 2016 | With community still divided, East Ninth project moves to City Commission “In a draft of a five-year capital improvement plan released Friday, the approximately $3,500,000 now estimated for the project was listed as “unfunded.” In a memo about the capital improvement plan, City Manager Tom Markus said the unfunded projects were ones that “are not financially feasible at this time” without adjustments to Lawrence’s debt service or to other projects.”

• May 23, 2016 | Developer raising red flag about East Ninth project “I thought the street would be completed by now, or at least underway,” Krsnich said. “Now, I don’t even know if it is going to happen.” 

• April 22, 2016 | Lawrence Historic Resources Commission delays vote on East Ninth plan  “John Naramore, who owns property along East Ninth Street, said the design was “changing it totally,” and his son said the “original streetscape will be lost forever.”

• April 13, 2016 | Cultural Arts Commission recommends East Ninth draft plan, while asserting their responsibility to review all artists proposals individually  “We’re heading toward a parking nightmare,” he warned, suggesting that bike lanes be moved to Eighth and 10th streets to free up parking space on Ninth Street. “This plan doesn’t speak to me as the greatest solution, and I feel like I’m being asked to settle for less.” – Phil Collison (CAC and ELNA member) comment during Arts Commission meeting

• March 30, 2016 | ‘Poetic’ lighting, sound art, rocks: East Ninth committee signs off on streetscape design
  “In part, the group (Friends of East Ninth) said in its evaluation that a reduction in parking would place an “undue burden” on residents and businesses. It also expressed safety concerns for bicyclists using the shared-use path, putting them “in direct conflict with cars and trucks entering and leaving alleyways.”

• March 4, 2016 | Is Lawrence set to rethink use of bike lanes on city streets ” A road project — one that has been billed as a showcase for future road design, nonetheless — has been proposed to not have bike lanes.”

*Placekeepers Editor’s Note* This article originally indicated that the Citizen Advisory Committee had recommended a plan for E. 9th St.. They had not, and after the Placekeepers contacted the Journal-World, they changed the digital version of the story and printed this correction on March 9.

• March 2, 2016 | Committee considers new directions for East Ninth project design “It was also brought up that the street could be dangerous if people aren’t properly educated on its new features. One committee member recommended putting up signs for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. Another member proposed limiting the speed limit to 20 mph along the seven blocks, and Shelton said he’d like to put in four-way stops at every intersection.”
• January 28, 2016 | East Ninth Project committee discusses updates; parking a concern “It seems like we’re taking parking that residents used along Ninth Street and we’re shifting it down to the end of the block to the Warehouse Arts District and the Turnhalle (building),” said Phil Collison.
• December 17, 2015 | Updated East Ninth project plans get tepid response
• November 6, 2015 | “Sitcom-style plot” Lawrence Journal-World  “My recent experience witnessing the attempted “overthrow” of the East Lawrence Neighborhood Association (ELNA) board member election Monday night was like a scene from the sitcom “Parks and Recreation.” If it hadn’t actually happened you would have giggled at the premise.”
• November 4, 2015 | ” Editorial: Street Surprise,” Lawrence Journal-World “The committee should be grateful that community feedback alerted it to the truck route issue before the planning went any further. The challenges this realization poses probably aren’t insurmountable, but the fact that they just now are being discussed may raise concerns about what other “details” have been overlooked in this planning process. “
• November 3, 2015 | ” Contested East Lawrence election sees large turnout amid arts corridor debate,” Lawrence Journal-World “All of the 2014-15 East Lawrence Neighborhood Association board members who filed as candidates were reelected Monday in what was one of the most contested and attended elections in the group’s history.”
• October 29, 2015 | “Neighborhood Vote,” Lawrence Journal- World ” East Lawrence, home to our city’s original town site and mainstay of a diverse working-class community, is beloved and unique. It is also vulnerable to the dreams and desires of those who see it as a blank canvas, i.e., an “up and coming” neighborhood. “
• October 29, 2015 | “East Ninth Street committee discusses truck route,” Lawrence Journal-World  “We’re going to create another whole set of problems if we go moving a truck route,” said Amyx, who serves on the committee. “I don’t think it’s a battle we need to do; I don’t think it’s smart. We do have businesses along Ninth Street that rely on trucks. I think moving it would be wrong.”
• October 27, 2015 | “Neighborhood issues” Letter to the Editor, Lawrence Journal-World “The current and previous ELNA boards have not come out in favor of or in opposition to East Ninth. What the ELNA boards have done is advocated for neighborhood participation, distributed information, hosted numerous gatherings (some with third-party moderators,) and provided a public space for document review and discussion with project leaders. “
• October 24, 2015 | “Ninth Street plans” Letter to the Editor, Lawrence Journal-World “Wouldn’t it be nice if the so-called Ninth Street Corridor ended at Delaware Street with, oh, maybe a mental health facility or a neighborhood grocery store or a rec center or a bit of green space instead of just turning Ninth Street into more of what it is becoming”
• October 23, 2015 | “Battle for control of East Lawrence brewing,” Lawrence Journal-World “A Facebook group called Community and Culture on East Ninth Street announced on its page earlier this week that 13 new people will be running for the board of directors, and all of them support the East Ninth Street project.”
• October 18, 2015 | “New poll shows uncertainty about East Ninth Project, Free State Festival,” Lawrence Journal-World   
• October 18, 2015 | “Lawrence City Commission to review East Ninth Street design,” Lawrence Journal-World “The next step in the design phase is determining what “neighborhood moments” to include in the final development. “
• September 16, 2015 | “City approves portion of funding request for Free State Festival; future uncertain,” Lawrence Journal-World

• September 14, 2015 | “City Commission to review Free State Festival’s $100,000 funding request; arts center director says event will be canceled if city doesn’t agree”, Lawrence Journal-World (see above for excerpt from funding request regarding East Ninth infrastructure usage for Free State Festival)
• August 5, 2015 – Jill Ensley, Letter to the Editor, Lawrence Journal-World “When you have this much money on the table, combined with a troubled start to a large, very visible project, you extend the call deadline.”
• August 4, 2015 – Eight Artists Selected for East Ninth Street Project, KCUR 89.3
• August 4, 2015 – East Ninth project announces commissioned artists, Lawrence Journal-World

July 30, 2015 | Cahoots Chicanery and Carpetbagging from Live TV Live on Vimeo.

• July 29, 2015 | “Program that would involve local artists in East Ninth Project looking for applicants”, Lawrence Journal-World “The associate artist program, which was introduced in the project’s Citizen Advisory Committee meeting last month, arrives on the heels of long-standing concerns from some East Lawrence residents and community members about the involvement — or lack thereof — of local artists in the East Ninth Project.”
• July 8, 2015 | “Placeholders” discussion on KCUR’s Central Standard program
• July 1, 2015 – Jennifer Kimball Brown,  Letter to The Editor,  Lawrence Journal-World “I think we can all agree it would truly be tragic if implementation of the project were to result in the displacement of local artists by pricing them out of the neighborhood. That is the heart of the “controversy.””
  
• June 29, 2015 – Lead Editorial, Lawrence Journal-World “a group of community members are urging the Lawrence City Commission to require that half of the public artwork in the corridor be the work of Lawrence artists.”
• June 23, 2015 – “Town Talk” about residents Work Plan letter by Chad Lawhorn – Lawrence Journal-World “…140 signatures asking the commission to do more to involve East Lawrence residents and local artists.” “…there continues to be concern from various East Lawrence residents and others that the arts corridor is going to become more of a linear entertainment and commercial district that connects downtown and the East Lawrence Warehouse Arts District.”
• May 6, 2014 – Artplace Grantee Summit, “Shift Happens” – Susan Tate, Executive Director, Lawrence Arts Center
• April 9, 2015 – Lawrence Journal-World story about design meeting #2
• April 8, 2015 – Lawrence Journal-World story about design meeting #1
• April 3, 2015 – KCUR 89.3 story about design team walk-about
• December 28, 2014 – Lawrence Journal-World, Role of East Lawrence defended   “If this project were merely about improvements to Ninth Street, this would likely not be much of an issue at all. But this is about transforming the street into a “destination,” for purposes much larger than just a transit route thru East Lawrence.”
  
• December 23, 2014 – Lawrence Journal-World, Editorial, “Community effort?”
• December 20, 2014 – Lawrence Journal-World,  “City Commission, East Lawrence Go Back & Forth on East 9th”
• December 17, 2014 – Lawrence Journal-World, “Tensions Rise over East Lawrence proposal”
• December 4, 2014 – Lawrence Journal-World, Town Talk, “Developer Purchases Turnhalle”
  “We’ll probably go through all the City Hall approvals and start swinging hammers whether we have an operator or not,” Krsnich said. “We think if you will build it they will come.”
• December 3, 2014 – University Daily Kansan, “ArtPlace Project Remodels Part of East Lawrence”,
• December 1, 2014 – Channel 6 News, “Community Gathers to Discuss 9th Street Corridor Project”
• November 5, 2014 – Lawrence Journal-World, “East Lawrence Residents Raise New Concern About Proposed Ninth Street ArtPlace Project”, 
• November 18, 2014 – Lawrence Journal-World
, Town Talk, “Questions raised about arts corridor application” “the Arts Center has released a redacted version of the full application. It appears some of the new information released has created more questions for some East Lawrence residents who are trying to get a better understanding of the project in their neighborhood. The application states in multiple places that the Kansas City architecture firm el dorado inc. would serve as the lead designer on the project. That’s despite the fact that el dorado inc. had not been selected yet by the city to serve as the lead designer on the project.”
• November 14, 2014 – KCUR 89.3 Kansas City, “Lawrence Residents Weigh In On Plans for East 9th Street”
• November 9, 2014 – Lawrence Journal-World, Editorial “Open Approach” “Susan Tate, executive director of the Arts Center, said she has released most of the application that attracted a $500,000 grant from ArtPlace America, but has declined to release — even to city officials — some key elements, including the project budget and timeline and information about the leadership team.”  “It’s particularly interesting that the full grant application hasn’t been released even to city officials or the city-appointed board charged with recommending a consultant for the project – and even more interesting that city officials are OK with that situation.”
• June 28, 2014 – Lawrence Journal-World, “Stakeholders excited, wary about possibilities for $500,000 ArtPlace grant” “It’s good for me, it’s good for Mass Street, it’s good for Ninth Street, it’s good for all of Lawrence,”- Tony Krsnich
  

• June 25, 2014 – Lawrence Journal-World, “Lawrence Arts Center wins $500,000 grant for Ninth Street corridor project”
• June 20, 2014 – Lawrence Journal-World, Dolph Simons Saturday Column, “Don’t let 9th St.project divide the community”
• June 10, 2014 – Lawrence Journal-World, “Growing tensions in the neighborhood”  “I would love to buy everything along Ninth Street to protect and preserve the historic buildings and to further the arts movement,” – Tony Krsnich
• January 20, 2013 – Lawrence Journal-World, “Arts Center is finalist for placemaking grant”
• May 7, 2013 – Lawrence Journal-World, “Lawrence falls short in bid for national ArtPlace grant”
• April 7, 2013 – Lawrence Journal-World, “Massive undertaking aims to transform Lawrence from artsy to ArtPlace”