A concept to build new office buildings and a 3.5-acre public park on two of Westwood’s most prominent pieces of land will get a closer look.
The Westwood City Council last week unanimously agreed to enter an exclusive agreement with Mission Woods-based Karbank Real Estate Company to fully flesh out a redevelopment plan for two adjacent properties: the former Westwood Christian Church property, 5050 Rainbow Blvd., and the Westwood View Elementary site at 2511 W. 50th St.
It’s the most concrete concept yet to move forward for the much-watched properties after years of public discussion about what should be done with the land in the nearly completely built-out suburb.
The agreements approved last week do not require the city to approve any actual proposals but gives the city a chance to explore the possibility of Karbank’s concept.
Preliminary plan includes 3.5-acre park
- As part of the plan presented to the city council, Karbank would eventually acquire and demolish the Westwood View Elementary building, which is still currently in use through at least the end of next year.
- At Thursday’s city council meeting, Karbank chairman Steven Karbank said the company would give Westwood 3.5 acres of the total 4.5-acre school site to be made into a public park.
- The city would be responsible for paying for a park and the landscape architect, but Karbank wants input on the park since it will abut proposed office buildings that are also part of the conceptual plan.
- The school, which is being used by Rushton Elementary students through at least 2024 while that school undergoes a rebuild, is appraised at nearly $3 million, according to Johnson County property records.
Plan envisions office buildings on old church property
- Karbank’s concept also includes 120,000 total square feet of office space at 5050 Rainbow Blvd. and on a neighboring plot of land that is currently the site of Dennis Park.
- The proposal is for offices and limited retail in four separate buildings of two and three-stories each — with mostly underground parking.
- The plan for these buildings would be similar to the 1900 Building, just down the road at 1900 Shawnee Mission Parkway in Mission Woods that Karbank also redeveloped, Karbank said.
Karbank is not seeking tax incentives
- Karbank said, like with all of his company’s projects, he wants to build the development without the use of public tax incentives.
- “We’ve got top notch people working on it,” he told the council. “Really, really good people who are sensitive to the community and want to build high-quality property because we drive by it every day.”
- In an email, Mayor David Waters said the city may seek public tax increment financing for public improvements like the park on the old school site.
- Any TIF dollars would go toward public infrastructure and not to the proposed office buildings, Waters clarified during the city council meeting.
City Hall could potentially be moved to site
- Previous concepts for the old church site have contemplated moving City Hall there from its current location a few blocks north at the corner of Rainbow and 47th Street.
- If the city wanted to explore moving City Hall — which is in need of $4-5 million worth of repairs — into a proposed office building, then the company would be open to that as well, Karbank told the city council.
- Karbank also said that the proposal does not currently include any residence, but if the city wanted to explore residential components for the site, then the company would be open to that, too.
The city council unanimously approved the agreements
- A funding agreement approved Thursday requires Karbank to pay for the city’s costs to work with consultants to fully vet the proposal.
- An accompanying exclusivity agreement gives Karbank six months as the sole developer Westwood works with on the site.
- Several governing body members, including Waters, said they are interested in further exploring the proposal with Karbank and are eager to see how the proposal will develop.
- “I generally feel this is meeting what we heard we should be doing,” Councilmember Jeff Harris said. “I don’t have the exact numbers in front of me, but the comprehensive plan — from now, what, six years ago — does contemplate this type of use along Rainbow on those specific properties. We certainly talk a lot about green space and park space.”
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