PSU, City partner on land development project

  Tuesday, March 1, 2016 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

Pittsburg State University is partnering with the City of Pittsburg on a project to redevelop 350 acres of land near the city’s center.

The city recently received a $196,000 Environmental Protection Agency planning grant to clean up and redevelop more than 350 acres of land between 7th and Washington and Rouse and Joplin streets. The city is examining the possibility for both residential and commercial development.

Kelce College of Business Professor Eric Harris and Assistant Professor Michael Davidsson are working with city officials to develop and distribute a survey assessing the needs of the community. More than 1,500 surveys are expected to go out this week to local retailers, business owners and multi-family residential properties.

“The goal of this survey is to get a good sense of just what our community needs in terms of property development,” Davidsson said. “Do we need more office space or more residential property? Do we need both? The data collected from this survey should help answer those questions and help the city move forward with the project.”

Davidsson said the results of the survey will be turned over to Elan Planning, Design and Landscape Architecture LLC, the firm the city hired to oversee the grant, which will then design various plans for the site based on the city’s needs.

 “This is an important project both for the city and for Pittsburg State,” Davidsson said. “We’re thrilled to partner with the city on this project and to help in any way that we can.”