Tensions were high Tuesday as Manhattan city commissioners unanimously voted to let a developer change the Midtown project from an office building to a hotel with a parking garage in Aggieville. The amendment to a previously approved agreement allows Back 9 Development and owner TJ Vilkanskas to build a 105-room hotel and 100-stall parking garage on the Midtown site, formerly a parking lot south of Kite’s Bar and Grill and currently an empty mud pit. Commissioners also authorized issuing $20 million in industrial revenue bonds for the project as well as project deadlines and potential penalties. Vilkanskas previously proposed a…
Author: Peter Rice
City crews plowed 42.24 million cubic feet of snow after last week’s historic snow storm, an official said Tuesday. Interim director of public works Wyatt Thompson said at the city commission meeting that officials figured if the snow was 16 inches deep, the snow they plowed between Jan. 4 and Jan. 9 could have filled City Park Pool 468 times. That amount of snow also could have filled 12,500 train cars or filled Bill Snyder Family Stadium 400 feet deep. Thompson said public works had 31 operations team members who were able to mobilize quickly. “We had a couple members…
Karen McCulloh became mayor of Manhattan on Tuesday as the city commission had its annual reorganization. Commissioner Peter Oppelt nominated Susan Adamchak, who became mayor in May following the resignation of Wynn Butler, when Adamchak had only been on the commission for a few months. Commissioner Jayme Minton seconded, but Adamchak before the motion could go to a vote asked if she could decline to be nominated and make a nomination herself. The full story can be read at The Mercury. For more local news involving Manhattan, click here.
This week’s winter storm put a damper on a local organization’s inaugural dinner for the community. Monday was supposed to be the first meal service, hosted by Common Table, that took place at the Lincoln Education Center at 901 Poyntz Ave., but organizers canceled the dinner because of dangerous weather and driving conditions. As a result, Tuesday night featured only 20 patrons; however that number doubled on Wednesday to around 45 people. Common Table chair Deb Nuss said those numbers are likely because of the poor weather, and she expects a higher turnout using the Lincoln Education Center compared to…
On Tuesday, legendary Kansas State Basketball Coach Jack Hartman was posthumously named to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He died in 1998 at the age of 73. Hartman played both football and basketball at Oklahoma State University, then Quarterback in the Canadian Football League before turning his attention to coaching men’s basketball at the collegiate level. At K-State, Hartman lead the Wildcats to four Elite Eights during 16 seasons, finishing first or second in the Big Eight in 10 of those years. He was selected as the Big Eight Coach of the Year in 1975 and 1977, in…
The Riley County Police Department is looking for clues related to an aggravated burglary that occurred Sunday in the 200 block of Seventh Street in Ogden. RCPD officers filed the report around 4:20 p.m. and listed a 71-year-old man as the victim who said unknown suspects broke into his apartment to steal various items such as amps, speakers, and even a guitar. The total loss associated with the theft is around $2,000, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers.
Manhattan city commissioners Tuesday approved more than $2 million in tax breaks to raze the downtown Commerce Bank building and build a new retail and residential space. Officials from Hutton Development requested a 10-year property tax abatement and a sales tax exemption on construction materials. They also asked the city government to pay for half the cost of improvements to Poyntz Avenue. Hutton seeks to buy the building at 727 Poyntz Ave., tear it down and construct a four-story, 80,000-square-foot building with retail space on the ground floor and residential space above. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click…
A local organization supporting LGBTQ+ youth has received city funding after two prior attempts failed. Manhattan city commissioners on Nov. 19 voted to include True Colors Flint Hills among the agencies receiving money set aside to pay for alcohol and drug abuse prevention and treatment programs in 2025, and organization officials on social media said Dec. 6 they had received the first half of the payout. Commissioners overrode the community support funds advisory board’s recommendation to fund True Colors the two previous years. The organization’s request faced opposition again this year, with the commission voting 3-2 to approve the advisory…
Kansas Tourism last week presented property owner Clay Graber with a $25,000 check to go toward the revitalization project. Graber estimates the total renovation cost to be $150,000. The Wabaunsee County District No. 1 Primary School at 38130 Elm St. in Wamego was built of limestone in 1879 and saw the education of hundreds of school children. Graber owns and operates Our Little Schoolhouse LLC and has been leading the restoration project since September. He sees the old schoolhouse as a space “where locals and out-of-towners alike can come get away from the busyness of everyday life, enjoy small-town living…
Hawaiian Bros Island Grill will open at 325 East Poyntz Ave. in Manhattan on Monday, with a grand opening set for 11 a.m. The first 100 customers in line will receive a free T-shirt and a Hawaiian Bros gift card ranging from $25 to $500. One person will win free Hawaiian Bros food for a year. The Manhattan location will be open from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. daily. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.