Here's how close KDOT is to owning necessary buildings for viaduct replacement

The Kansas Department of Transportation says it now owns 19 of the 28 properties with buildings that it needs in order to carry out a project to replace and realign downtown Topeka's Polk-Quincy Viaduct.

Of the other nine properties, KDOT remains in negotiations to buy six, has oral agreements in place to buy two that house operations of nonprofit groups and is processing paperwork to purchase one other, KDOT spokeswoman Kate Craft told The Capital-Journal.

Which properties have oral purchase agreements in place?

Paperwork is being processed for KDOT to buy the property owned by Uriel Chavira at 200 S.E. 3rd, Craft said.

KDOT has an oral agreement in place to acquire the Let's Help property at 200 S. Kansas Ave., she said.

Let's Help will soon share details of what that oral agreement looks like, executive director Jennifer Loeffler told The Capital-Journal.

More:I-70 viaduct deterioration more serious than thought. KDOT inspector resigns after not reporting it.

An oral agreement is in place and a contract is being put together to arrange for KDOT to buy the property at 215 S.E. Quincy, which houses the Topeka office and warehouse for Kansas City, Mo.-based Harvesters Inc., Craft said.

Harvesters is relocating its northeast Kansas operations to the current Reuter Organ Co. building at 1220 Timber Edge Road in Lawrence, in an industrial park just north of the Kansas Turnpike's west Lawrence interchange, Harvesters president and CEO Stephen Davis told The Capital-Journal last month.

Which six properties are KDOT still negotiating to acquire?

Craft said KDOT this past week was still negotiating to acquire:

• 101 S.W. Tyler, which Shawnee County Appraiser's Office records say is owned by First Avenue Leasing LLC.

• 116 S. Kansas Ave., owned by Team Kansas Inc.

• 124 S.W. Van Buren, owned by Anthony L. Graves.

• 129 S.E. Quincy, owned by TFI LLC.

• 631 S.W. 1st, owned by Ryder Truck Rental.

• 600 S.W. 2nd, owned by Ryder Truck Rental.

Which 19 properties has KDOT bought?

KDOT has acquired nine houses it needs for the project. Work to demolish those began Sept. 7.

Those houses are — or in some cases, were — at 120 S.W. Tyler, 122 S.W. Tyler, 113 S.W. Harrison, 125 S.W. Harrison, 127 S.W. Harrison, 128 S.W. Harrison, 130 S.W. Harrison, 127 S.W. Van Buren and 135 S.W. Van Buren.

Appraiser's office records says KDOT has also bought the commercial properties containing buildings at:

• 103 S.W. Van Buren, 109 S.W. Van Buren and 112 S.W. Harrison, all formerly owned by Shawnee Woodwork Inc.

• 115 S.W. Jackson, formerly owned by Piping Contractors of Kansas Inc.

More:Work has begun to clear away buildings in the future path of the Polk-Quincy Viaduct

• 121 S. Kansas Ave., owned by the Steven J. Mohan Trust.

• 127 S. Kansas Ave., formerly owned by Gary D. Smith, doing business as Gary D. Smith Construction.

• 128 S.W. Van Buren, formerly owned by Pro Keyless Entry & Hardware LLC.

• 129 S.W. Jackson and 135 S.W. Jackson, formerly owned by Topeka FM Comm Inc.

In addition, Craft said KDOT has purchased the property containing a building at 122 S.W. 2nd, though appraiser's office records indicated that property as of Friday was still owned by KPL Gas Service.

What will the viaduct project do?

The viaduct project seeks to improve safety by replacing and flattening out Interstate 70's sharp curve near S.E. 3rd Street by moving to the north much of the highway that currently runs to the west of that curve.

The curve was created when KDOT in 1963 built the viaduct, an aging, elevated four-lane segment of I-70 that runs between S.W. Polk and S.E. Quincy streets.

Officials with Topeka's city government since at least 2006 have sought to replace and realign the viaduct.

KDOT this year has been negotiating to gain "total acquisition" of 41 properties in the area involved, including the 28 that include buildings.

Actual replacement of the viaduct begins in 2025.

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: KDOT in talks to buy six buildings for Topeka I-70 viaduct replacement