Student Housing Land Swap

Parsons, KS- A special Labette Community College board of Trustees meeting was held on Monday evening, where they voted and approved a land transfer to Bluffstone LLC, a student housing development company. In turn, Bluffstone will transfer land to LCC in exchange for parking lot space. The approval was part of the final steps necessary for the developer to begin building student-centered housing.

Last month, the LCC Board of Trustees approved the extension of an August 31 deadline to Bluffstone, LLC for proof of financing. The original deadline was set for August 1.

The developer will get the college/Foundation owned parking lot at 1400 Main that was built to accommodate the Zetmeir Health Science Building. That land will be used to construct the student housing. Both the college and LCC Foundation owned small tracts of land within the current 1400 Main parking lot. Both boards approved to transfer the parking lot land to Bluffstone. In return, Bluffstone will construct a new parking lot on 1400 block of Broadway which will be transferred back to the college and provide a yearly $1,000 housing scholarship to be awarded by the LCC Foundation for the next 50 years. The scholarship will increase proportionately to rental increases.

“This is a tremendous step toward the successful completion of student housing for LCC students. Providing on-campus student-centered housing has been a necessary and top priority of the college for many years,” said LCC President, Dr. George Knox.

Bluffstone is working with Crossland Construction of Columbus, KS for construction of the student housing building. The proposed competition date of the project is fall 2017.