Housing development in Hutchinson reached a new landmark, pardon the pun, at the start of this month as the Meyer Landmark Apartments opened at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Main Street.
With 36 apartments opening, it is among Hutchinson’s biggest housing developments in more than a decade, alongside projects like the renovation of Wiley Plaza, the construction of Inverness Apartments, and the reconstruction of Commerce Gardens.
This may be a coincidence, but we notice that all of these were infill projects. They were built in places where city streets, water lines and sewer lines were already in place. That is excellent news, because it means expanding housing stock in Hutchinson without creating new liabilities for taxpayers.
Brand new developments in brand new places require a lot of infrastructure, like streets, utilities, drainage infrastructure and sidewalks. That infrastructure is often paid for over time through special assessments. But once it is built, much of that infrastructure—aside from privately owned utilities and sidewalks—becomes the city’s property and the city’s responsibility to maintain, repair and replace as necessary at taxpayer expense.
Every new street, water line and sewer line represents a future cost to taxpayers. That can still be a good deal if the tax revenue from the development is more than the cost to maintain that infrastructure and provide other services, like police and fire protection, to the new development.
But it is easier for infill development to be a good deal for taxpayers because it doesn’t add to the miles of streets and pipes that have to be maintained. The City of Hutchinson offers incentives specifically for infill development for a reason.
The redevelopment of the Landmark is also promising for what it means for downtown. It turns a blighted eyesore into a bright spot, which should only grow brighter as food and drink establishments open on its first floor. It also bolsters the sense that Hutchinson’s living, active downtown doesn’t stop at Fourth Avenue. Salt City Brewing Co. is already a strong presence in the 500 block of North Main Street, and the addition of a restaurant, ice cream parlor, speakeasy and 36 apartments represents a big step toward the critical mass of people and attractions that creates a positive feedback loop. People and entertainment businesses want to go where fun is already happening.
We also like the Landmark project for its location. It adds 36 apartments in a place where residents will have easy access to downtown and beyond. It is about a five-minute walk from groceries, less than a 10-minute walk from the Hutchinson Public Library, and about a 10-minute walk from Avenue A. If the envisioned park next to the Salvation Army takes shape, that will be within a five-minute walk, as well.
For what it’s worth, it’s about a three-minute walk from The Hutchinson Tribune’s office, depending on the timing of traffic lights. There may be a few journalist lunch breaks taken at Giuseppe’s once it opens.
The Landmark project really was a two birds, one stone situation, representing improvements both for housing and downtown, and it was the biggest opportunity available at the time. But there are more opportunities to advance the same goals. We don’t see any other buildings with the space for 36 new apartments and three commercial tenants, but many businesses downtown have unused or underused second floors that could fit apartments. Hutchinson would do well to encourage the development of more loft apartments downtown and to evaluate if city rules put up any unreasonable and overly burdensome barriers to doing so.
– The Hutchinson Tribune Editorial Board