Interesting proposal in Lee's Summit

[missingkc]

City Council studies development plan for Strother Road-I-470 site
By RUSS PULLEY
The Kansas City Star

A new high-rise condo, first-class office park and hundreds of homes overlooking Lake Jacomo is Lee's Summit's vision for prime land along Interstate 470.

Bob McKay, director of community development, presented a conceptual plan to the City Council for using land to be opened by a proposed interchange at Strother Road and Interstate 470.

The interchange could spur development of 1,100 acres next to Lake Jacomo, McKay said, so it's useful for the city to decide what projects it would like to encourage there.

For a long time, city leaders have hoped that Lee's Summit would get its own version of Johnson County's Corporate Woods, he said.

"This is a very visible piece of ground," McKay said. "There's an awful lot of opportunity there for access to the property."

"Quite frankly, this is a great place to do it."

The land is on the east side of Interstate 470, between Woods Chapel Road on the north and Colbern Road on the south. Fleming Park is on the east.

It's uncertain when a solid proposal could come forward.

The city has to go through the design for the interchange and make certain it can obtain enough funds. The Kansas City area now has a glut in office space.

Moreover, the land is owned by a holding company controlled by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and city officials haven't yet met with church officials about the plan.

But Lee's Summit has been completing a series of long-term plans for regions in the city to preserve important sites for commercial development and green space. This is another step in the process.

The conceptual plan for the Mormon church land includes an extension of Todd George Road north through the property.

There would be room for 5.7 million square feet of office space and nearly 3 million square feet of retail.

McKay said the ground's elevation, east of Lee's Summit Municipal Airport, falls away quickly enough that buildings five or even 10 stories high, depending on the location, could pass federal regulations.

Housing would be placed away from the highway, closer to Fleming Park.

McKay said he would hope for a tall condominium building with scenic vistas of the park.

"That's something we don't have available in Lee's Summit now," McKay said.

The vision also includes other mutli-family and attached housing and nearly 300 single-family houses.

The plan would retain 227 acres of green space buffering residential areas.

Council members generally agreed with the concept, although they wanted further explanation for some ideas.

Councilman Joe Spallo asked whether the area needed the housing. Jim Hallam asked whether the green space was needed, given the huge county park next door.

McKay said the site would be overburdened if the city tried to encourage commercial development for the entire 1,100 acres.

Ideally, people with jobs in the office complex would be able to find homes nearby, McKay said.

Preserving the natural drainage areas that already are home to mature trees is more attractive and efficient than building retention ponds and large storm sewers, he said.

The trees are important for attracting high-end development, he said.

"Environment is key. That's how Corporate Woods could do what they did," McKay said.


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[QueSi2Opie]

For a long time, city leaders have hoped that Lee's Summit would get its own version of Johnson County's Corporate Woods, he said. Environment is key. That's how Corporate Woods could do what they did," McKay said.

Jus' what we need...another Corporate Woods to lure companies from the urban core.

[dangerboy]

For a long time, city leaders have hoped that Lee's Summit would get its own version of Johnson County's Corporate Woods, he said. Environment is key. That's how Corporate Woods could do what they did," McKay said.

Jus' what we need...another Corporate Woods to lure companies from the urban core.

I don't think this project or others like the nearby Eastland Town Center really compete that much with the urban core. The Eastern Jack cities are much more focused on competing with Johnson County. In the past 5 years they have become competitive with retail and housing, offices are the next step.

I don't see Independence or Lee's Summit chasing after companies in the core like Overland Plark or Olathe does. Of course they will compete for companies that are new to the metro or for downtown companies that seek out suburban proposals.

[KC0KEK]

A new high-rise condo

5-10 stories is a high-rise? Or does that limit apply only to the office buildings and not the condo, which would be taller?

[ShowME]

Lee's Summit needs to do something. I've never seen such a fast growing city approaching 80,000 in population that offers absolutely no good paying jobs. By the time the Grandview Triangle is completed it will need to be expanded once again from all the Lee's Summit people driving to Johnson County for work.

[QueSi2Opie]

I don't see Independence or Lee's Summit chasing after companies in the core like Overland Plark or Olathe does.

Of course not, the city of Lee's Summit will keep the buildings vacant like the other 30% in the KC metro and not make any offers to Kansas City companies. Only JOCO is KC's anti-Christ. You guys sound so f$#kin' ridiculous sometimes!

[dangerboy]

I don't see Independence or Lee's Summit chasing after companies in the core like Overland Plark or Olathe does.

Of course not, the city of Lee's Summit will keep the buildings vacant like the other 30% in the KC metro and not make any offers to Kansas City companies. Only JOCO is KC's anti-Christ. You guys sound so f$#kin' ridiculous sometimes!

HEY calm down, that was not a Joco-bashing post. It's getting to where any criticism or comparison brings out howls of protest. The truth is Joco does indeed aggressively pursue Missouri companies, even ones that aren't necessarily looking to locate.

Lee's Summit is more likely to recruit companies from College Blvd. than Downtown. Many of those companies employees and executives have already moved east to Lee's Summit, so it's a natural progression for businesses to consider the same thing.

[ShowME]

Dangerboy,

Here's the scoop on Johnson County leadership and why they recruit Missouri companies. First of all Johnson County leadership rarely leaves Johnson County and when they do it's just to sit in a Chiefs or Royals luxury box and drive to and from on I-435. The only thing they see outside of Johnson County is 435 or the occasional drive to Kemper to see KU play in the Big 12 tourney but those are becoming fewer and fewer. Johnson County can't recruit companies from Wichita because companies there are leaving for greener pastures such as Dallas or are folding altogether. Which leaves us to the remaining 95% of the state which is losing population and is still wondering how they got suckered in to approving Star Bonds.

[QueSi2Opie]

The entire metro needs to work on recruiting outside companies and STOP shifting them around the five core counties.

I get defensive because I'm tired of the moronic blame game. There are obviously idiots in Jackson County and Johnson County. Jackson County should work on making the core more attractive (streetscape, incentives, etc.) for companies and Johnson County should work on attracting companies to one of the top 10 wealthiest counties in America instead of taking them away from their neighbor.

Instead, you have Johnson County being a greedy neighbor and Jackson County crying and whining because they can't clean up there own yard and keep losing $hit. Unfortunately, we live in a capitalist society and nobody is goin' to sit back and not pursue a profit aggressively...unless you're KCMO.

Jus' remember, the government and business leaders in JOCO don't reflect the residential population. People moved to JOCO because they wanted to live in the Kansas City, Missouri metro...Overland Park, Lenexa, etc. jus' happened to be the neighborhood they perfered. It doesn't mean they hate KC...means what they offered in terms of housing, schools, and so on didn't fully satisfied a particular families wants or needs.

WE LOVE KANSAS CITY! We're realistic though and call things like we see them...downtown for the most part looks like a dead piece of trash. Ask the out-of-town conventiors and the people who see the boarded up windows, cracked and plated streets and curbs, retarded stop lights, graffiti, etc. Sure KC is workin' on it now...and when it's fixed, everyone's impression will change. But for now, all your visitors, tourists and suburbanite families will be at City Market, Crown Center or the Plaza where it's much more pleasant on the eyes and gentle on the automobiles.

Don't hate a Kansan, Texan, Oklahomo or Cornhusker that lives in a Kansas county...hate the peeps from Missouri that abandon the Bannister area in Missouri for JOCO neighborhoods instead of moving to the Northland.

[ShowME]

Jus' remember, the government and business leaders in JOCO don't reflect the residential population.

Let's see Johnson County government leaders are elected by the people aren't they? See Ed Eilert's view on Kansas City, MO. And I'll bet you 99% of Johnson County business leaders live in Johnson County so yes they as well represent your residential population.

[QueSi2Opie]

Jus' remember, the government and business leaders in JOCO don't reflect the residential population.

Let's see Johnson County government leaders are elected by the people aren't they? See Ed Eilert's view on Kansas City, MO. And I'll bet you 99% of Johnson County business leaders live in Johnson County so yes they as well represent your residential population.

And I'm sure when these people get elected, they say,"Hey, BTW, we're goin' to do everything we can to hurt KCMO." NO, they probably say,"We're goin' to make Overland Park a better place for residents and businesses." If the business leaders are anything like former Bill Esrey, they fly in from Colorado and make the decisions. Not everyone in JOCO lives in million dollar homes and owns there own personal jet.

Your problem is you're a whiner...it's easy for you to look at the tiny minority of JOCO that purposely works against KCMO jus' like the tiny minority in urban KCMO that is currently workin' against voting NO to save the ATA. Maybe you should attend that meeting and speak with those goof balls.