Rally alley, linking the parking garage with Triangle Park was completed. The project includes sidewalk, lighting, and landscaping enhancements that create a safe and inviting route to and from the garage.

At its December 5, 2023 meeting, the City Commission passed Ordinance Number 7681 which amended the Aggieville TIF district's redevelopment plan. This amendment paves the way for construction of another parking garage on the east end of Aggieville on the north side of the 1100 block of Laramie Street. As proposed, the parking garage would contain about 500 spaces, partially for private use and partially for public use, and would be paired with a five-story hotel.

This 3-story mixed-use building on the corner of 14th and Laramie was completed in Fall of 2023. It has about 5,000 square feet of commercial-retail space and 25 loft apartments. The building serves as a gateway to Aggieville from the west, creating a more defined urban edge to the district.

Fall 2022: North Manhattan Redesign

In April 2022, construction began on the North Manhattan Avenue south of Moro Street. The street was redesigned to hold a two-way, separated cycle track, wider sidewalks, increased landscaping, and pedestrian amenities, like benches, lighting and enhanced crossings. Construction was completed at the end of 2022.

Construction began in December 2020 and was completed in April 2022.

The garage provides about 450 parking spaces, a bike parking room, about 8,000 square feet of potential retail/office/tenant space, and a new alley. The alley features a history walk, displaying historic photos of Aggieville throughout the ages, while providing access for garage users directly to Moro and businesses behind it.

See parking garage and general parking information.

In conjunction with the parking garage construction, these sections of streets were redesigned and reconstructed throughout 2021. Improvements include new sidewalks, repaved streets, pedestrian and automobile scaled lighting, a signaled intersection at 14th and Laramie, landscaping, enhanced crossings and other pedestrian amenities.

On December 7, 2021 the City Commission adopted the Manhattan Development Code via Ordinance No. 7560 which went into effect Jan 1, 2022. The code integrated zoning regulations for Manhattan and included updates to development and design standards for Aggieville. Most notably, updates included the creation of architectural gateways, more appropriate building design requirements, and design standards for parking garages. These updates make redevelopment envisioned in the ACV Plan fully possible.

In August 2021, in response to a request for proposals, the City received a proposal from a private developer to redevelop the public parking lot on the northwest corner of 12th and Laramie. The City of Manhattan began working with the developer to see the project to fruition. Initial design features include a mixed-use, multi-story building with office, retail, restaurant, and residential uses, as well as public amenities.  

In March 2021, the City Commission reviewed concepts for design proposals for North Manhattan Avenue. Designs were finalized throughout the summer. 

Major design elements include a two-way, separated cycle track from Bluemont Avenue to Fremont street, a gateway feature on the 700 block of N Manhattan, increased landscaping, pedestrian amenities, and improved sidewalks. 

Construction began in spring 2022 and concluded in 2023.

This section of 12th Street was completed in early 2021 after gaining approval from the City Commission in May 2020. South of the alley is curbless and features retractable bollards at the alley to easily close off the street for pedestrians during weekends or special events. Landscaping, sidewalk dining, and new lighting is also featured in the new space.

The street redesign represents the first street redesign project in Aggieville, setting the tone for remaining streets. 12th Street south of Moro will follow a similar design, but is planned to be completely open to pedestrians only with many more features and amenities.

In August 2018, the southwest corner of 12th and Bluemont, including part of the old City parking lot next to Starbucks, was rezoned to allow for the construction of a five-story hotel. 

The hotel contains 127 guest rooms and a 113-stall parking garage. This was the first major private commercial redevelopment following the adoption of the Aggieville Community Vision Plan, which envisions the Bluemont corridor as a high-density urban edge of Aggieville. Construction began in October 2019 was completed Summer 2021.

In 2019, the City of Manhattan was awarded a grant from the Kansas State Historical Society to study the history of Aggieville and assess the historic significance buildings throughout it. The study area (PDF) included all property in the Aggieville district.

Results of the survey included a historic inventory of 90 buildings in the district, searchable on the Kansas Historic Resources Inventory website. The history and significance of these and the area in general is more broadly described in the Aggieville Historic Resources Inventory Survey Report (PDF). This survey may be used by property owners in the district looking to nominate their buildings or potentially create a district to help preserve the historic fabric of the district and qualify for rehabilitation funding sources.

In May 2019, the northwest corner of 11th and Bluemont was rezoned to allow for the construction of the 4-story, 33-unit apartment building addition to the 12b lofts. This project further develops the vision for the Bluemont Avenue Corridor as a high-density urban edge of Aggieville, providing additional housing options in the Aggieville area. The project was completed in the summer of 2020.

On October 23, 2019, the City of Manhattan held an open house where preliminary design concepts for the parking garage (located south of Rally House) were vetted to the public. Concepts for Phase I of streetscape improvements including sections of 12th Street, Bluemont Avenue, West Laramie Street, 14th Street, and North Manhattan Avenue were also vetted. Concepts were taken to the City Commission for consideration.

The Aggieville Community Vision requires a funding source to finance public improvements like multi-story parking garages, landscaping, and street amenities. One of those sources is Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district. 

When a TIF district is created, the City establishes a base assessment valuation of property in the district and freezes it. The district continues to provide property tax revenue to the City, County, USD 383 and State at that level for the next 20 years. The City then captures the increase above the base in tax revenue resulting from rising property value in the future years from redevelopments and the natural increase in property value over time. The City invests that money directly back into the district in the form of public improvements. Those public improvements attract more private development and reinvestment, which in turn increases the value of property in the district that the city can again capture and invest back in the district- and the process repeats itself. This is the same mechanism the City used to finance improvements to Downtown since 2006. It is not a new tax or fee, but is simply a redirection of tax revenue.

The Manhattan City Commission established the boundary in March 2019 and it was finalized Summer 2019. Because of the nature of TIFs, the more valuable and earlier in the 20 year window redevelopment occurs, the greater value the TIF will provide for Aggieville.

In May 2019 the City Commission authorized finalization and execution of design agreements (PDF) with Olsson, of Manhattan to begin creating designs for a public parking garage on the city-owned parking lot at N. Manhattan Avenue and West Laramie Street (south of Rally House). With the garage will come a parking management plan (PDF). The garage is was planned to supply approximately 500 spaces on five levels. Ground floor commercial space will be integrated along N. Manhattan and Laramie street with a ground breaking around the beginning of 2021. Designs for the streets around where the new public parking garage will be built south of Rally House and where the new hotel will be built at 12th and Bluemont were also created. The designs include new amenities like sidewalk widening, lighting, seating, landscaping, and temporary and/or permanent plazas.

The Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity, located at the northwest corner of 11th and Fremont was listed on the Register of Historic Kansas Places on May 4th, 2019. The building was constructed in 1907 as a YMCA and hosted Kansas State Agricultural College’s first basketball game. It later became St. Mary’s Hospital. The Delta Sigma Phi fraternity purchased the building in 1955. Ownership has been maintained by the fraternity ever since. The building is listed as an excellent example of both the twentieth century revival style and the mid-century modern style in Manhattan. Preserving this building is a priority in the ACV plan and the building underwent a major renovation in 2020, largely updating the facilities inside.

Changes related to increased building heights, building design, and reduced parking requirements in Aggieville's Zoning (C-3) were adopted by the City Commission in March 2019. These changes will unlock private redevelopment potential on the edges of Aggieville along Laramie and Bluemont primarily by allowing buildings up to five stories tall. These redevelopments will ultimately support the vision for Aggieville as a vibrant urban district.

In Summer 2018, we kicked off the streetscape and Triangle Park design phase of the plan. It included public visioning sessions, design charrettes, surveys, and focus groups to close in on a design concept to improve the streets, sidewalks, landscaping, traffic circulation, and pedestrian experience in Aggieville. Plan concepts were accepted by the Commission in early 2019. See Volume I (PDF) and Volume II (PDF) of the Concept Plan.

New parking limits (PDF) went into effect fall 2018. The changes will add parking capacity to the district area while the Aggieville Hotel parking garage is under construction.

In June 2017, land on the north side of the 1100 block of Bluemont Avenue was rezoned to allow for the construction of the 37-unit apartment building, 12b. This was the first major private redevelopment project following the adoption of the Aggieville Community Vision Plan, which further enhances the Bluemont Avenue Corridor as a high-density urban edge of Aggieville and provides additional housing options in the Aggieville area. The project was completed in August 2018.

The City partnered with Olsson Associates and Walker Consultants to determine future parking demand based on the redevelopment envisioned in the Aggieville Community Vision Plan, and how that demand might be met through multi-level parking garages. Capacity and potential constrains on infrastructure, including water, sewer, and storm-water due to redevelopment were also assessed. The final report (PDF) provides cost estimates for various scenarios so policies for infrastructure provision, public–private partnerships, and parking management strategies may be implemented.

The Aggieville Community Vision is likely to require a public funding source to finance public improvements like multi-story parking garages, landscaping, and street amenities. One possible financing tool is “tax increment financing.” When a TIF district is created, the City establishes a base valuation of the district. The district continues to provide property tax revenue to the City, County, USD 383 and State at that level for the next 20 years, demonstrated in the graph (JPG). The City then captures the increase above the base in tax revenue resulting from rising property value in the future years. This is not a new tax or additional fee, it is a result of growth and increased valuations due to development and increases in land values.

The City then captures and invests that money directly back into the district in the form of public improvements. Those public improvements attract more private development and reinvestment, which in turn increases the value of property in the district that the city can again capture and invest back in the district- and the process repeats itself. This is the same mechanism the City used to finance improvements Downtown over the last 10 years.

How feasible is that for Aggieville? Looking at the current picture of citywide local property tax being generated, Aggieville and the downtown are already the most efficient property tax generators per square foot in the city—see map (JPG). In fact, three of the top five most efficient generators in Manhattan are in Aggieville and 98 of the top 100 are either in Downtown or Aggieville. Thus reinvestment through area-based financing in these areas yields great potential for improvements.

The Aggieville Community Vision plan calls for substantial redevelopment of land currently locked up in surface parking and low-density development that could be redeveloped to substantially increase property value of the district, making Aggieville more vibrant and commercially viable.

The C-3 zoning district regulations were amended following the adoption of the ACV plan in spring 2017. These changes discourage additional highway and suburban strip-style development by prohibiting future drive-through establishments and requiring any provided parking to be placed behind buildings. These changes will encourage more development in the future that emphasizes an environment centered around the pedestrian experience of Aggieville as a walkable urban center.

The plan document (PDF) was adopted by the City Commission via Ordinance Number 7280 on April 18, 2017. 

The “State of the Ville” (PDF) is a compilation of background information supplementing the Aggieville Community Vision Plan document. It established the conditions and trends from recent years on a range of factors shaping Aggieville. The report creates a dialogue of the issues and challenges within the district while helping to identify opportunities throughout the planning process based on analysis of observed data, informational mapping, and analyzed community input. The Aggieville Community Vision Plan responds to the findings in the State of the Ville report.

The Aggieville Community Vision Survey was completed in May 2016. It yielded more than 4,200 responses from college students, permanent residents, business owners, military members, and K-State alumni who through the survey were able to communicate their vision for the future of Aggieville. The collected data was compiled and analyzed in the State of the Ville Report.

The main themes centered around:

• Parking capacity
• Pedestrian improvements
• Increased sidewalk amenities
• Improved safety and security
• Diversity of business
• History and cultural activity
• Improvements to Triangle Park
• Redevelopment opportunities