The Lofts at City Center open mixed-use residential/office space;
Less than a year after breaking ground in Lenexa City Center, The Lofts at City Center, a mixed-use residential/office space, opened earlier this month. Representatives of Real Property Group and city leaders celebrated the opening with a ceremonial ribbon cutting on Sept. 15.
The Lofts features 67 boutique apartments, 10,000 square feet of office space and an underground parking garage. The site also features amenities such as a fitness center and outdoor entertainment facilities such as fire pits, BBQ grills, outdoor TV, pool and hot tub. Artwork by Lenexa resident Catherine Kirkland of Kirkland Creative Art + Design is installed throughout the building.
Shawnee kicks off process to revitalize comprehensive plan
Shawnee city leaders and staff on Sept. 14 kicked off the process to revitalize the city’s comprehensive plan. The 10-20 year plan will guide growth, land uses and redevelopment, among other purposes, in the city.
The Shawnee City Council in July approved a contract with Ochsner Hare & Hare to include the services of Clarion Associates for the purpose of revitalizing the plan. Ken Boone with Ochsner Hare & Hare said the comprehensive plan is designed to advance the ideas and goals laid out by Imagine Shawnee, the city’s recently approved strategic plan.
“Really, moving forward or bridging the strategic plan and the comp plan, we want to make sure we have an understanding of the good work you did there, and now it’s about executing, providing policy and providing a real road map for how you move forward,” Boone said. “That’s really the relationship between the two, moving those great ideas forward.”
In the first work session as part of the kickoff meeting, city leaders noted they need community engagement and buy-in as well as a commitment from city leaders and staff on implementation of the comprehensive plan, in order to create a resident- and stakeholder-focused plan to be used as a decision-making and policy guide for the city.
The process also includes development of a stakeholder committee. The committee’s kickoff meeting is a virtual visioning workshop Oct. 7-8. Some councilmembers and Mayor Michelle Distler said they wanted to ensure the stakeholders come from diverse backgrounds to represent a wide range of perspectives of residents.
Roeland Park approves art installation at Cooper Creek Park
The Roeland Park City Council approved an art installation at Cooper Creek Park.
The art pieces, called River Totem #1 and River Totem #2, were originally in the city 10 to 12 years ago. The set amounts to $12,100, and the art committee are looking at informational plaques to accompany the art.
