A commercial development site along one of Salina’s busiest retail corridors is moving through the city process, pointing to continued business interest on the south side of town.

The property is part of the Replat of Nine South Addition, an approximately 8.31-acre tract located on the east side of Market Place, the South 9th Street frontage road, between Market Place Apartments and Sam’s Club. City records show the site includes Lots 1 through 8, Block 1 of the replat.

The Salina Planning Commission voted 7-0 to recommend rezoning the property from C-3 Shopping Center to PC-5 Planned Service Commercial. The request was filed by Jeff Maes on behalf of Nine South Development, LLC.

The change does not confirm a specific new business or tenant. However, the zoning movement is significant because it positions the property for additional commercial use in an already active area of South 9th Street.

According to city materials, the PC-5 zoning is considered consistent with the existing pattern of planned commercial and service commercial districts in the South 9th Street corridor. The property is bordered by commercial development on multiple sides and sits within an area already identified for commercial use.

City records also indicate that infrastructure needed to serve commercial development is already in place, including water, sanitary sewer, the Market Place road extension, curb cuts on South 9th Street and stormwater detention facilities. That matters because sites with infrastructure already in place can be more attractive for future commercial activity than raw land requiring major public improvements.

A related zoning matter is also scheduled before the Salina Board of Zoning Appeals. Klover Architect, on behalf of Nine South Development, LLC, is requesting a variance for Lot 4, located at 2755 S. 9th Street, to allow 56 off-street parking spaces where city code would otherwise limit the site to 31 spaces. The request is scheduled for a public hearing on May 21, 2026.

The parking request may suggest planning for a more parking-intensive commercial use, although no specific tenant has been publicly confirmed in the city notice.

For Salina, the activity adds to a larger pattern along South 9th Street, where retail, service businesses, apartments, restaurants and commercial pads continue to shape the city’s south-side growth. The corridor remains one of the most visible business areas in the community, drawing both local traffic and regional shoppers.