Manhattan Pursues Major Infrastructure and Development Projects Across City
MANHATTAN, Kan. — The City of Manhattan is advancing multiple infrastructure and planning initiatives designed to modernize the community and accommodate future growth, with projects ranging from downtown revitalization to transportation corridor planning.
Current Projects
Aggieville Infrastructure Redevelopment
Work resumed in May 2025 on a major infrastructure and streetscape improvement project in Aggieville, Manhattan's popular entertainment district near Kansas State University. The project includes replacements and upgrades to water, sewer and stormwater systems, along with new streetscapes, improved sidewalks and expanded outdoor dining areas.
The first phase began at the intersection of Moro Street and North 12th Street with an estimated completion of mid-June 2025, while work on North 12th Street from Moro to the alley is expected to finish by November 2025. Additional phases addressing alleys and the section of North 12th from the alley to Laramie are scheduled for completion between October 2025 and January 2026.
Highway 24 Roundabout Construction
The Kansas Department of Transportation is constructing roundabouts at two locations on U.S. 24 near Manhattan, at the K-13 junction and K-113 junction. Ebert Construction Co. of Wamego is the prime contractor on the combined $8.5 million projects, which are expected to be complete in summer 2026.
Phase 2 of construction was scheduled to begin in March 2025, with work consisting of constructing temporary shoulder widenings, crossovers and shoo-fly detours to carry traffic through project areas.
Downtown Affordable Housing Campus
The Manhattan Housing Authority is developing a downtown affordable housing campus estimated at $20 million that will relocate vulnerable senior citizens from future flooding areas along Wildcat Creek. The project will transfer HUD-assisted seniors from Garden Grove I and II to a new HUD-assisted housing structure in downtown Manhattan.
Plans include possible relocation of the Senior Center to the first floor of the new senior building and potential addition of workforce housing units subsidized for applicants between 80% and 120% area median income.
Future Projects and Planning Initiatives
East Manhattan Gateway Plan
The East Manhattan Gateway Plan is a corridor and area plan along the U.S. Highway 24 corridor from the Manhattan Town Center Mall entrance to Hopkins Creek Road, expected to conclude with plan adoption by fall 2025. The project addresses future development, transportation, public infrastructure including sewer, water and stormwater, floodplain management, parks and open spaces, market analysis and emergency services.
Riverfront Development Vision
A coalition called Riverfront MHK gathered input from community stakeholders and raised funds to develop a vision for the Kansas River on the east and west banks adjacent to downtown Manhattan. The coalition hired a private firm to produce a vision of how residents, visitors and tourists could potentially access and engage with the riverfront.
The plan underwent review by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and Manhattan Urban Area Planning Board in summer 2025 for potential amendment to the Move MHK Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
Beyond Tomorrow Downtown Plan
The Beyond Tomorrow Downtown Plan is a comprehensive development plan for the downtown Manhattan area that will replace the Downtown Tomorrow Plan, which was adopted in 2000 and has been successfully completed.
Poyntz Avenue Corridor Plan
Starting in fall 2024, the city engaged occupants along Poyntz Avenue west of the downtown district boundary from Juliette Avenue to MLK Jr. Drive in the Poyntz Avenue Corridor Plan with the goal of understanding what is working and the potential for an improved experience.
Economic Development
Torgeson Electric, a Topeka-area company founded in 1970, is expanding to Manhattan with construction of a new facility that will create 25 new jobs for skilled workers. The company provides electrical services in the industrial, civil, residential and commercial fields.
The City of Manhattan continues to pursue infrastructure improvements and planning initiatives designed to support long-term growth while maintaining the character and livability that define the community.