Merriam Pointe

[GRID]

stay tuned, there is something big in the works for that area which includes retail and apartments. will be announced within next 3 months.

drinking a Mojito in SoBe MIA--dude out.

Sounds like part two:

Hearing to focus on TIF expansion

Council considers change for project near Town Center

By ANITRA ROWE

The Kansas City Star


The Merriam City Council will meet in special session Thursday to set a public hearing on a proposal to amend a city tax increment financing district.

City officials want to enlarge the district to include a 32-acre mixed-use development so the project could be eligible for TIF funds. The financing incentive allows developers to use increased property and sales tax collections from their redeveloped property to help pay for the project.

The current TIF district generally is bordered by Shawnee Mission Parkway, 75th Street and either side of Interstate 35. An amendment could expand the district with new boundaries being Shawnee Mission Parkway, Johnson Drive, Slater Street and Interstate 35.

Thursday's meeting will be at 7 p.m. at the new police station north of Merriam City Hall, 9000 W. 62nd Terrace.

The project informally is tagged the “Grandview Developmentâ€

[GRID]

What's worse is they might shoot themselves in the foot. Bringing in too much retail into that area and increasing the chances of having an empty big box down the road.

That is a successfull redevelopment effort. If the housing across Johnson Dr is in good condition, they better leave it alone.

[TheDude]

#1. Most of the housing in the proposed district is crappy or of poor quality, not too mention there is quite a bit of vacant property as well. I suggest you drive the proposed district, you will be hard pressed to find anything worth saving. (Not to mention that housing developed immediate adjacent to one of the busiest interstates in the metro area without any buffer does not create the most pleasant environment for housing; this area is most suitable for a retail land use, not housing.)

#2. The majority of property owners (over half of which are absentee owned, ie rented) are wanting to sell their properties cause they view this as their big "pay-day" to move into higher quality housing.

#3. City has indicated that it will not condemn any properties; that is, at some point most property owners in the area are willing sellers. Those that are reasonable will get a fair shake.

#4. There is a need for more retail (albeit big box) in Neast JOCO. Merriam (unlike KCMO) is very conservative in its TIF incentives and is only offering up $13 mm on a $60 mm project that will have a significant long term +ve economic impact on all taxing jurisdictions. TIF in this case is being used correctly unlike the abuses that KCMO propegates on an annual basis.

#5. There is an affordable senior housing component which will offer up to 96 units of quality, affordable housing for seniors in the area which has been quantified as a significant need in NE JOCO.

[KC0KEK]

The old AT&T/Lucent building just sits there empty.

I thought there was already another retail project proposed for that site. The last I saw was an article in the Star about six months ago. Anybody remember that?

[TheDude]

that project is called Merriam Pointe and is much further out from developing (its located in the same TIF but across the interstate). it's a tougher project to attract tenants to v. the high visibility for Grandview Development from I-35/Jo drive.

[KC0KEK]

That's the one. As I recall, they were hoping to attract at least one big box -- probably one that the Grandview project also is courting.

If JoCo commuter rail ever gets off the ground, an office building might be a better fit for the former Lucent site. Isn't one of the proposed stations right behind that property? That would be handy for commuting -- and take some cars off of I-35.

[Tosspot]

A new, but most assuredly ghastly parking-lagooned, agoraphobia-inducing retail hodge-podge is being planned for 67th and I-35.

It would seem that Merriam is not content in it's dubious distinction of being a second-tier banana republic suburb, what with that hellish crevasse of design turpitude just up the road called Merriam Town Center.

I had the misfortune of driving through this area yesterday on my way to partake in consultations with my grandmother, who for some odd reason lives in Johnson County, though I haven't the faintest idea why. Waiting for a train to pass by, I noticed a sign at the edge of the property that used to house the now defunct Lucent Technologies building that met it's demise recently.

"Merriam Pointe Center" That is a good name for this development, seeing as how it sounds like the name of all of the other retail abominations in Johnson County which incidentally, will fully resemble this new development upon completion. *thank you zoning laws*

News Link

Hans said the area’s underserved retail market is also driving the development.

This is the most idiotic thing I've heard all day. Now JoCo is "underserved" from a retail standpoint. Yeah, and I'm the Queen of England.

The municipal dunderheads will likely hail this auspicious development as northeast Johnson County's veritable retail panacea realized, but that doesn't change the fact that the current mode of building which reigns supreme in suburbia is not desireable. Instead, it is like a metastasizing tumor festering on America's forehead.

[dangerboy]

They talking about Northeast Joco, not the county as a whole. The NE could be considered underserved, as it doesn't have all of the new big boxes that are present south of I-35. Plus, the stuff in Merriam is very convenient for us folks in Downtown and Midtown.

[eliphar17]

Good to see a developer taking on the challenge of re-building for higher density in an older area rather than going straight south to 159th Street.

[thedream]

He geting a lot of taxs incentives. Also that was a really bear area with the departure of Lucent company. Besides most of this area was storage for BMW and Mercedes.

[KC0KEK]

Doesn't the proposed JoCo commuter rail line have a stop right there?

[thedream]

I actually think your right I forgot about that.

[igglephile]

Anyone have any idea of the tenants? NoJoCo definitely has needs like Olathe did 10 years ago, and Olathe is definitely getting served. Don't forget about Wyandotte County; Village West should not be KCK's panacea.

[KC0KEK]

Sears Grand and Kohls are possibilities.

[KCK]

News

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascit ... 261099.htm

Final word on project brings relief, optimism

Merriam Village redevelopment will bring new businesses, homes to city

By EDIE HALL

The Kansas City Star

“I was overwhelmed with joy to find out that it will go through. I really felt they were pulling the plug and were going to walk.â€

[Tosspot]

I'm bumping this thread because this project has been brought up in the Olathe Pointe thread. The old Lucent Technologies building was demolished a few months ago, and construction is set to begin on this ghastly retail complex soon.

Located at 67th Street & I35, the Merriam Pointe Center will contain 205,000 sq ft of new retail space with four anchors, six pad sites, and two auto dealer sites. For lease information contact Mike Hans, Trina Humphrey, or Jennifer Johnson at RED Brokerage 816-777-3500.

Northeast JoCo Chamber of Commerce

Pad sites and car dealers? Gee whiz, Merriam sure is aiming high isn't it. Notice the ambiguous rendering, in that it conspicuously omits the more revolting aspects of the project, instead focusing on the pseudo-urban look they threw in that comprises a tiny portion of the project.

[justin8216]

Here is the web-site of RED Brokerage a sister company of RED Development. They are the leasing agent for Merriam Pointe.

http://redbrokerage.com/index2.html

They also have some interesting site-plans for the redvelopment of Blue Ride Mall and Antioch Center, as well as information about a proposed redevopment of downtown Raytown.

[justin8216]

According to the site plan proposed tenants include: Books-a-Million, Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse, Party America, Kirklands, Verizon, Palm Beach Tan, Beauty Brands, Starbucks, Johnny Carrino's, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Bonefish, a bank, and commuter rail terminal.

[justin8216]

Merriam Pointe and Merriam Village are two seperate developments. Merriam Pointe is on the west side of 35 on former site of Lucent Tech. Merriam Village is on east side of 35 a bit to the north of Merriam Pointe, and is being developed my DDR (Developer's Diversified Realty) owners of the Merriam Town Centre. Two different projects, two different developers.

[justin8216]

Just read an update on this project.

Block and Co. and the Christie Co. are in the process of aquiring this stalled development since the original developers could not generate interest among potential tenants. The are reportedly talking to two hotels and a "sit-down" eatery.

I can't imagine that with the other retail development going in on the other side of I-35 that there is enough demand to fill all the proposed retail space especially now with the soft economy.

There is a former Rio Bravo/Chevy's on Frontage Road that has been vacant for almost 6 years now, if that tells you anything about market conditions in Merriam right now.