One Big Opportunity.

In 2025, Lawrence issued just 36 permits for new single-family homes, the lowest number recorded since the City began tracking building permits in the 1950s.

That statistic is more than a number. It reflects the challenge of providing housing while planning for the infrastructure, jobs, and amenities that support a community.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll explore the proposed K-10 STAR Bonds District, including The 1059 and Beacon Landing, and the vision for a coordinated destination corridor.

Rather than answering every question at once, each newsletter will focus on one topic and provide clear, straightforward information.

This Week’s Topic: Why Costco?

One of the questions we’ve heard most often is, “Why is Costco included in the proposed STAR Bonds District?” The question is not simply whether or not Lawrence should redirect Costco’s sales tax for a period of time. It is whether using Costco’s future sales tax revenue now to fund upfront infrastructure, destination attractions, and coordinated growth creates greater long-term value for the community.

The K-10 Development Group intends to bring more than 1,200 single-family homes and over 500 rental properties to Beacon Landing over the next several years. Building housing in West Lawrence doesn’t just mean building the houses themselves. It also means building new infrastructure such as roads, water lines, sewer capacity, and utilities.

That infrastructure in West Lawrence also includes some already-budgeted improvements such as a new water tower, sewer infrastructure, the extension of John Wesley Drive, the extension of Bob Billings Parkway, as well as the internal roads and utilities needed to support both Beacon Landing and future development.

By including Costco within the district, the project creates a stronger retail sales tax base that will help attract private investors to provide significant upfront funding for all of this infrastructure that would otherwise need to be funded over many years, benefitting not just West Lawrence but the entire corridor.

We go into more detail about Costco, STAR Bonds, and FAQs on our website. Visit our STAR Bonds page to explore how the program helps finance public infrastructure, supports destination attractions, and why it plays an important role in the proposed K-10 STAR Bonds District.