Aldi Store Eyed for Sixth and George Williams

Lawrence commission to weigh a 1% sales tax district to help fund the grocery project on a steep site.

Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Organic Food

Aldi Store Eyed for Sixth and George Williams

Live Poll

Should Lawrence use new sales tax to help fund private store development?

Catalyst Property Group plans a 20,000-square-foot Aldi at Sixth Street and George Williams Way in Lawrence. The City Commission will consider a Community Improvement District on Tuesday, November 17, 2026, that would reimburse the developer from a new 1% sales tax.

Why it matters

City staff recommends reimbursing just over $1.4 million in eligible principal costs, with a maximum total of about $2.9 million over up to 22 years, paid solely from the new sales tax rather than the general fund. Staff estimates a net fiscal benefit to the city of about $2.23 million over 10 years if the district is approved and the store is built.

The 20,000-square-foot store would be Aldi's second Lawrence location, following the existing store at 31st and Iowa streets. Approximately $2.59 million, or nearly 48% of the developer's project budget, goes to horizontal construction and sitework, which the developer cites as the main obstacle on the site's steep slopes and challenging rock and soil conditions.

The players

Catalyst Property Group

Catalyst Property Group is the developer proposing the Aldi store at Sixth Street and George Williams Way and seeking reimbursement through the Community Improvement District.

Aldi

Aldi is a German-founded discount grocery chain that operates a growing number of U.S. stores and would open its second Lawrence location at this site.

Lawrence City Commission

The Lawrence City Commission is the governing body of the city of Lawrence, Kansas, and will decide whether to approve the Community Improvement District.

The details

The developer would pay project costs up front, and revenue from the new 1% sales tax would reimburse part of them over time. In May, the Board of Zoning Appeals rejected a setback exemption request, and the planning director later approved a waiver raising the maximum setback from 25 feet to 44.29 feet. The site sits about a block from a recently opened Costco.

May 2026: Board of Zoning Appeals rejected the developer's setback exemption request.
October 2026: Planning director approved a setback waiver increasing the maximum from 25 feet to 44.29 feet.
Monday, November 16, 2026: Planning Commission considers the preliminary plat and special use permit.
Tuesday, November 17, 2026: Lawrence City Commission considers the Community Improvement District.

Legal Context

The proposal uses a Community Improvement District, a tool Kansas cities use to pay for eligible project costs out of a dedicated sales tax on the district. Here the mechanism is applied to a single grocery store, with reimbursement drawn only from the new 1% tax rather than the city's general fund.

If approved, the Aldi would give Lawrence residents a second discount grocery option, and the sales tax that pays for the project would apply within the district. The commission's decision on Tuesday will determine whether the store moves forward at this site.

The takeaway

Residents who want a say should attend or watch the City Commission meeting at Lawrence City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St., where the Community Improvement District will be considered. The vote will shape how much of the project's cost is covered by the new sales tax.

What happens next

The Lawrence Planning Commission considers the preliminary plat and special use permit on Monday, November 16, 2026, and the City Commission takes up the Community Improvement District on Tuesday, November 17, 2026.