The parking garage in a development at the former French Market site may grow two stories taller than originally planned, now that the Overland Park Planning Commission has given its blessing to a revision in the Shamrock development plan.
The commission recommended approval for a four-level parking structure on the eastern edge of the property. The original plan called for two levels.
Commissioners recommended approval for the extra levels after being reassured by a Shamrock spokesperson that the change won’t increase the traffic flow. Lawyer Kevin Lee told the commission the developer wanted to add the stories to give it the flexibility to configure parking in other parts of the 76-acre site that will be built later.
The former market at 95th Street and Metcalf Avenue is now part of a $262 million expansion project for the Overland Park-based Shamrock Trading Corp., which has offices across the street to the west. The company is planning three office towers at the site as its workforce increases to 1,000 by the end of the 12-year project.
The entire project calls for 944,400 square feet of offices and retail plus parking. The first phase, which is expected to be finished in 2021, includes a 275,000-square-foot building plus parking.
The parking garage, which is on the northeast corner of the site, increases the number of spaces from 1,039 to 1,955. But that shouldn’t impact the need for special turning lanes or other street improvements, Lee said. It would allow the developer to adjust the number of surface parking spaces in other phases if need be.
Shamrock started as a freight brokerage but has since expanded its services to include transportation logistics, computer software and financial services.
