Prairie Village’s ad-hoc civic center committee reconvened for the first time in years last week, restarting a conversation that was largely put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But there’s a long history behind efforts to remake the four-square-block around City Hall that includes Harmon Park and Shawnee Mission East High School.
The area, now being referred to by the city as Prairie Village’s civic center, is bound by Delmar Street and Mission Road on the east and west, and 75th and 79th Streets on the north and south.
Below is a look at how civic center conversations fared in Prairie Village’s past, and how the city got to this point.
Timeline
- The city council voted against a community center and natatorium idea at Harmon Park in 2013.
- After six years, Prairie Village restarted community center discussions in 2019. That’s when Johnson County Library entered the equation, proposing a co-located, rebuilt Corinth branch as part of a community center project.
- This effort led to a memorandum of understanding between the YMCA, the city and the library to conduct a community survey, the results of which found broad resident support for a co-located Y and library.
- City staff was then directed to move forward with a second memorandum of understanding with the library and Y for public engagement and site design in February 2020, according to city documents.
- Less than two months later, the city paused the project due to COVID-19 shutdowns.
- The current city council restarted conversations about the idea in February.
- Most recently, Wichita-based Genesis Health Club expressed interest in working with the city on a potential community center — or at least figuring out what amenities to offer at its contract for a gym at the old Macy’s at Prairie Village Shops that would not compete with a city-run community center.
The puzzle pieces
Below is a brief look at several moving parts involved in the civic center discussion.
- The library: Johnson County Library wants to rebuild the Corinth branch on Mission Road by 2026, city staff said. Mayor Eric Mikkelson said two years ago that JCL’s ideal option would be a co-location with a potential community center (similar to the branch at Lenexa City Center).
- The YMCA: The future of the Paul Henson YMCA near 79th and Mission is uncertain as the current, decades-old facility continues to deteriorate. YMCA also owns the land it sits on, as well as some land that abuts Harmon Park.
- Genesis Health Club: The company says it is putting a hold on the specifics of its plan to move into the former Macy’s redevelopment until more is known about the civic center project.
- Resident opinion: The ad-hoc civic center committee’s consensus is that the 2020 resident survey needs to be validated in some way or potentially redone, at this point. City staff is working with other municipalities to see what community center usage looks like under COVID-19.
- Potential cost: City Financial Director Nickie Lee said the city can borrow up to $20 million more before having a conversation about potential impacts to Prairie Village’s current AAA bond rating.
Although the city’s municipal buildings and the pool are also part of the civic center equation, the committee unanimously approved removing the buildings and the adult and lap pools from its conversations.
This is because improvements to city hall, the police department and the pool are all time sensitive and necessary.
What’s next: YMCA is hosting a community forum on May 12 at the Meadowbrook Clubhouse, 9101 Nall Avenue, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Residents, members and other stakeholders will be asked to provide input on the future of the YMCA.
Prairie Village’s ad-hoc civic center committee plans to meet monthly. Specific times and dates will be made available on the city’s calendar, which can be found online here.
Key quote: “The ask of staff is, please don’t go down a path if we’re not prepared to pay for it and if we’re not prepared to take it to a public vote — because we are going to spend a lot of staff time on this,” City Administrator Wes Jordan said.
