Pioneer President's Place to be Renamed 'RL Lofts' as Commission Approves Changes to Allow All-Age Occupancy

The Salina City Commission voted 5-0 Monday to approve an amendment to the Pioneer President's Place planned development district, renaming it "RL Lofts" and removing age restrictions that previously limited occupancy to residents 55 and older.

The amendment, requested by property owner Flint Hills Holdings Group, will allow residents of all ages to occupy the 61 apartment units located in the former Roosevelt and Lincoln school buildings at 7th and 8th Streets.

Tony Krsnich of Flint Hills Holdings Group told commissioners the property includes 49 one-bedroom units and 12 two-bedroom units. The development will maintain 80% of units as affordable housing while allowing 20% (12 units) to be rented at market rates.

"We wanted to provide something for everybody in a much more balanced project," Krsnich said. "This project was redeveloped 20 years ago, and it needed to be redeveloped a few years ago too. We believe that with the new program and the capital that we're going to bring forward, this project will be self-sustainable for decades and decades to come."

The amendment also includes approval for two ground signs (one for each building) and a reduction in required parking spaces from 102 to the existing 58 spaces. Dustin Herrs, Assistant City Planner, explained that the change from age-restricted housing to general occupancy typically requires more parking spaces under city code.

Krsnich defended the parking variance, noting that national trends are moving away from strict parking requirements for downtown and affordable housing developments. He cited the project's proximity to public parking and lower vehicle ownership rates among residents of similar properties.

The Planning Commission had previously recommended approval of the amendment with conditions, including maintaining at least 42 tree units in the front yard setback areas and limiting development to multi-family residential apartments with up to 61 dwelling units.

The developer plans to invest approximately $20 million in renovations. Work has already begun on the Roosevelt Building, with plans to renovate the Lincoln Building once it is fully vacated. Currently, only 11 tenants remain in the Lincoln Building.

Former residents who were relocated have the first right to return to the property once renovations are complete. According to Krsnich, approximately 20 former residents have expressed interest in returning.

The project timeline is expected to be about one year for completion of both buildings.