The Iconic Downtown of Salina, Kansas

Last summer, I had the chance to take a road trip that was quite rewarding. I was able to take in many great small towns throughout Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri. I’ve already talked about towns like Lindsborg and Cottonwood Falls in past posts. I’ll include links to these posts below.

My first overnight stay during that trip was in Salina, a city of nearly 47,000 at the intersection of I-70 and I-135. Salina intrigued me as I had already dropped in on the downtown area on Google Street View and liked what I saw.

About Salina, Kansas

Salina’s beginnings were rather uneasy as settlers from Lawrence regularly fought off tribal attacks from the west in their early attempts to start the town in 1858. Eventually, the township was incorporated into a City in 1870. The community took advantage of being the westernmost town on the Smoky Hill Trail. Its position made the community a critical trading post for those seeking gold in Colorado or settling elsewhere in the American West. American Indian tribes also took advantage of the opportunities that the trading post offered.

The community saw growth again during World War II when Smoky Hill Army Airfield was constructed. Scores of crews for B-17 and B-24 heavy bombers were trained there before they were sent overseas to combat areas.

Today, Salina continues to serve as a regional trade center in central Kansas. However, it has also developed a strong manufacturing base and an enhanced focus on post-secondary education, with institutions like Kansas Wesleyan University and the KSU College of Technology and Aviation.

An Enhanced Streetscape

As I entered the downtown area, I was immediately impressed with the streetscape. Nice, wide sidewalks flanked both sides of Santa Fe Avenue. Pavers populated the furniture zone between the sidewalks and the roadway, arranged in patterns that reflect the Art Deco style of the revitalization design. Within this zone rested the standard amenities of decorative benches, trash cans, bike racks, and pedestrian-scale lights. But there were also stormwater bioretention basins planted with a wide mix of plant species that added a vertical element and color downtown.

Pavers also differentiated the pedestrian crosswalks from the concrete drive lanes. This change in material served as an artistic way of informing motorists of the increased potential for pedestrians to cross their path. But these pavers shouldn’t be confused with the bricks that filled the center turn lane along Santa Fe Avenue. These rustic red bricks are presumably from the original roadway that traversed through downtown Salina.

At the intersection corners, the pavers alongside the sidewalks spread out into the bump-out areas before the pedestrian crossings. There, at each intersection corner, stood three lighted bollards and, typically, a tall Art Deco-style pillar denoting the street names of the cross streets.

Redevelopment of Downtown

Salina’s downtown redevelopment efforts have carried on past the bounds of the streetscape, though. A number of new developments and redeveloped buildings dot the landscape along Santa Fe Avenue. The Salina Fieldhouse, KU School of Medicine and Nursing, and The Alley – bowling alley and family fun center, all draw people downtown at various times of the day.

These new developments join the iconic Steifel Theater for Performing Arts. It’s a beautifully detailed Art Deco building that is gorgeous when lit up at night.

Another building that stands out at night is the Lee Hardware Lofts. This example of adaptive reuse for affordable housing is just the first phase in a multiple-phase historic rehabilitation of the H.D. Lee mercantile complex. The public/private partnership that made this redevelopment possible has been quite successful. So successful that they have started on a second phase with 50 additional affordable housing units.

A Focus on the Arts

There was a lot that was impressive about Salina’s downtown revitalization work, but it was the focus on the arts that really stood out to me. The centerpiece of Santa Fe Avenue’s revitalization is the mid-block crossing. A massive metal overhead structure provides an archway that announces the crossing location. The metal on these structures is fabricated with an Art Deco style, befitting of the theme of the revitalization effort. Additionally, each entire truss lights up at night in a variety of colors that traverse its length.

At one end of those mid-block crossings is Campbell Plaza, a pocket park with picnic tables, festoon lighting, and a stage. That night, a band was playing for the crowd that had gathered in this unique space. Completing the plaza is a massive mural that covers the entire side of the building on the south end of the plaza.

Interestingly enough, the stage at Campbell Plaza isn’t the only stage in downtown Salina. City Lights Stage sits just two blocks to the north, playing host to larger events. The same goes for the mural in the plaza; it is not the only one. There are several murals throughout downtown Salina.

Art On the Block

What really caught my eye about the streetscape along Santa Fe Avenue was the amount of public art. Not just one or two pieces, there were many works of art at strategic locations all along the sidewalks. Although there were a few large pieces placed on the ground, many of them were on a standardized set of pedestals that brought the artwork up to eye level.

Each piece of public art included a plaque stating that it was part of the Sculpture Tour Salina exhibition and the entity sponsoring that specific piece. Another plaque, located right next to the first, displayed the title of the artwork and the artist’s name.

How it Came Together

In March of 2018, bids were approved to replace waterlines and to complete the streetscape project. These totaled approximately $1.351 million and $11 million, respectively. To pay for the improvements, the City issued STAR bonds that would be paid off by the sales tax revenue from the district.

But the streetscape project is just one piece of a much larger project. The redevelopment of downtown Salina is a $160 million project led by Salina 2020. Other improvements include the development of a hotel, a new family entertainment center, a classic car museum, and other private developments. It is an interesting public/private partnership that involves Salina 2020 as the master developer. But it also includes the City of Salina, Salina Downtown, and other private developers. Thus spreading out the effort of this herculean task.

Check It Out

If you want to witness a well-executed downtown revitalization, I encourage you to check out downtown Salina. Even if you can only make it there by Google Street View, it’s worth checking out!