After sitting vacant for five years following an April 2015 fire, redevelopment is on its way to the former Mission Bowl.
Mission Bowl LLC, created by the Kansas City-based Sunflower Development Group, received the city council’s approval for a preliminary development that includes a five-story, 161-unit apartment complex at 5399 Martway Street. Banks Floodman, Sunflower’s business development director, said there’s not necessarily a target audience for the development, but it will be ideal for individuals who want to be centrally located.
“We want this development to really engage, not just with Martway, but Mission as a whole,” Floodman said. “We would anticipate there being a lot of people that live here, that work in Mission or are starting to work in Mission and that are maybe looking for a class A rental in the short term, but over the course of a year or two of living here they fall in love with the city and want to call the city home.”
With approximately seven live/work units making up a majority of the Martway Street façade and a dog park with general public hours, Floodman said said the developers intend for the project to serve the city — not just the Johnson Drive corridor.
The live/work units are intended for use by individuals who work from home with the lower level serving as a work space and the upper level having a one-bedroom living space. Also, if the individual living in the space wanted to obtain a license and run their business out of the lower level they could.
The preliminary development plan came to the city council with the planning commission’s recommendation for approval, including approval of height, density and permitted use deviations. As part of the permitted use deviations, the project features a two-level live/work space that will make up a majority of the Martway Street facade, accounting for approximately seven total units.
Assistant City Administrator Brian Scott said, in response to Councilmember Hillary Thomas, the licensing requirements for the live/work units will be determined on a case-by-case basis. If a single-person architect firm wishes to visit with clients and work out of one of these spaces, they may need a license, Scott said, but that may not be the case for someone simply working from home.
Councilmember Debbie Kring asked how affordable housing fits into the potential development. Scott said the city has expressed to the developer, who is requesting some incentives for the project, the type of requirements it would like to see as a community including affordability.
Additionally, Scott said if affordability is something the city council wants to reach for in future developments it is something that can be discussed during the upcoming comprehensive plan update.
Resident Ben Chociej has been a vocal supporter of the proposed development since the beginning. Chociej lives directly behind the Mission Bowl site on W. 60th Terrace, and as the sole resident commenter, reiterated his personal approval.
“[My wife and I] love the idea of seeing this multi-density come to Mission [and] help revitalize Johnson Drive, I think that’s great,” Chociej said.
