Developer, property owner sue City of Lawrence over denial of downtown apartment project

The developer behind a proposal to build a five-story apartment and retail building in downtown Lawrence is suing the city, claiming city leaders bowed to pressure from residents when rejecting the project.

The lawsuit claims that decision was unlawful and asks the court to reverse the city’s denial of its project.

In May, the Lawrence City Commission unanimously denied a certificate of appropriateness to Chicago-based developer Core Spaces to build the Hub on Campus Lawrence at the northeast corner of 11th and Massachusetts streets in downtown Lawrence and determined the project did not meet downtown design guidelines.

The developer and property owners, Core Lawrence Massachusetts LLC, Allen Realty Inc. and Allen Press Inc., filed the lawsuit in Douglas County District Court last week. The lawsuit alleges that the commission’s decision was “unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious” and therefore unlawful, and asks the court to reverse the decision. The project was strongly opposed by many Lawrence residents, which the lawsuit notes.