Aeroplanes Housing Development Receives Timeline Extension and Price Point Adjustments

The Salina City Commission has approved amendments to the Building Kansas LLC development agreement for the Aeroplanes housing development, granting the developer additional time to complete the project and adjusting price points for housing units.

During Monday's meeting, commissioners voted 4-0 to approve two resolutions affecting the development located north of Schilling Road and east of Centennial.

The first amendment extends the timeline for completing the final phases of construction. The developer requested an 18-month extension, changing the completion timeline from 30 months to 36 months for one benchmark, and from 36 months to 54 months for the final benchmark.

"After building more of these units and getting the quality that they wanted, they are suggesting that the table be revised," said Lauren Driscoll, Director of Community & Development Services presenting the request.

The second change adjusts the price points for different unit types in the development. The amendment allows the developer to align housing prices with the annual state guide for maximum prices published by the Kansas Moderate Income Housing program.

"What they're requesting is that we use that annual increase as a way to let the prices of the home annually move along," Driscoll explained. "By doing this, it allows the developer to stay in line with the state's guidelines. It also allows it to move as the market does."

The commission also approved a resolution supporting an amendment to the Moderate Income Housing American Rescue Plan Act grant agreement between Kansas Housing Resource Corporation and the city. This amendment extends the completion deadline for 50 grant-funded units from March 31, 2025, to September 30, 2026.

The developers reported that approximately two-thirds of the homes in the development have already been sold, with 75% of buyers coming from outside Salina.

"Three out of four people moving into these homes are coming from outside Salina," said a representative. "Many of them coming here for work, unable to find housing otherwise."

The Aeroplanes development is a two-phase project covering 53.26 acres. When completed, it will include 169 lots with two townhomes per lot for a total of 338 housing units. Phase one includes 75 lots (150 units) and phase two includes 94 lots (188 units).