Those who frequent downtown Mission may have noticed an uptick in construction work taking place at the former Mission Bowl site at 5399 Martway Street.
What’s going on? Kansas City-based Sunflower Development Group is building a five-story, 170-unit apartment complex at the site of the old bowling alley, which was heavily damaged by a fire in 2015 and stood vacant for years afterward.
The details: The plans approved by the Mission City Council call for 20% of the units of the new Mission Bowl Apartments to be reserved for low-income tenants and also a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver certification, denoting sustainable building practices.
- Banks Floodman, Sunflower’s director of business development, confirmed both the low-income and sustainability commitments are still included in ongoing project plans.
- Floodman said Sunflower plans to reuse material from some of the old bowling lanes from Mission Bowl and incorporate them into some of the units and amenity areas of the apartments.
Key quote: “I used to go there years ago, and it seems like everybody I talk to has some memory or story of Mission Bowl,” Floodman said. “This is kind of a cool way that we’ll be able to incorporate that destination into little bits and pieces of our project.”
Background: The city council approved plans for the apartment complex in December 2020 after months of discussions with the developers.
- Developers asked for a delayed start to construction earlier this year due to pandemic-related complications.
- The final approval came five years after Mission Bowl, the iconic bowling alley featuring a mini-golf area, burned down in April 2015.
- The site remained vacant for seven years, until it was demolished in October 2021.
Project timeline: Floodman told the Post that Sunflower is still working toward a deadline in the fourth quarter of 2023 — despite a couple of hiccups with delayed demolition and construction.
- This is in line with the previously reported November 2023 deadline.
- Floodman said site work, which began the first week of May, is currently underway at 5399 Martway Street.
