Plans for an 88,000-square-foot double hotel, restaurant and retail development in the Lenexa City Center near the Public Market and Shawnee Mission Aquatic Center are moving ahead.
On Monday, the Lenexa Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the preliminary plan for the next project at one of the city’s most prominent developments.
“I think it’s a great project for that site,” commissioner Curt Katterhenry said.
The proposal, put forward jointly by Olsson and Midas Hospitality, is for roughly two acres of undeveloped land between Elmridge Street and Penrose Lane off of 87th Street Parkway.
The two hotels would have a combined 260 rooms
- A Residence Inn and AC Hotel — a Marriott brand primarily found in Europe — would share a lobby.
- The building would also have four ground-level retail spaces, totaling 11,000 square-feet, and a AC Hotel bar and restaurant with public access.
- Tenants for the shop spaces have not been publicly discussed.
- Midas Hospitality, based in St. Louis, Missouri, also owns and operates the SpringHill Suites that opened nearby six years ago.
Commissioners raised concerns about parking
- In the design plan presented Monday, there is also a multi-story parking structure with about 280 parking spaces for general City Center and hotel uses.
- As it stands, 73 spaces in the parking structure would be for public use, and the remaining 210 would be gated for hotel users.
- Kim Portillo, city planner, said there is a desire to expand the number of public parking spaces, which planning commissioners supported.
- There were also worries about whether or not the designated drop off parking zone would be sufficient for the level of traffic that would be coming through the hotel during check in.
- David Robert, with Midas, said he is “confident” both the parking and drop off issues would be addressed in future design proposals submitted to the city.
The hotel plans aren’t final
- The Lenexa City Council is expected to take up the preliminary plan on March 21.
- Final plans for the development will need to be submitted later on and will need to be considered both by the planning commission and the council.
- At that time, Portillo said city staff expects to see changes to the parking plans, as well as the proposals for pedestrian access, trash enclosures and lighting.
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