Developers of the Residence on Rock Creek, the five-story apartment building going up on the former Mission Bowl site in downtown Mission, are seeking a 10-month delay.
If approved by the Mission City Council later this month, then this would be the third extension of the timeline to complete the project granted to developers since May 2021. The project was originally slated to finish this November.
Developers want to push the deadline to September 2024
- A July 26 letter from Sunflower Development Group to city staff details a number of reasons for the request, all seemingly beyond the developers’ control.
- This includes unforeseen complications with the site, including a difficult to source underground sewer pipe that delayed the project by more than six weeks.
- Weather-related delays have also led to cancellations of concrete pours, and supply chain issues and labor shortages are all also gumming up the project.
- A delay approved in May 2021 was related to issues with configuring the layout , and developers cited COVID-19 delays as a reason for another request to extend the deadline in February 2022.
- “The [tax increment financing] clock is already running, if you will, so it is to the developer’s advantage to get this done as quickly as possible,” City Administrator Laura Smith told the city council’s finance and administration committee on Wednesday. “They are the ones who, in fact, are potentially losing out on opportunities by that delay on the project.”
This sets the original timeline back by more than a year
- Before the two delays were granted, the original project was slated for completion by this month.
- Despite the 10-month delay, developers do anticipate to start pre-leasing the project by Jan. 1, according to city documents.
- Sunflower also anticipates tenants to be able to move in prior to the extended Sept. 1, 2024, deadline, through a temporary certificate of occupancy.
- Mayor Sollie Flora said Wednesday evening that she intended to deny future extensions, but believes the developer is “diligently pursuing construction” and the delays were outside of their control.
- “There were just some wacky things,” Flora said. “I think that’s not really on the developer … I’ll continue to be critical of developer requests for extension of time, but I think I understand the circumstances and the ask here.”
What’s next:
- The finance and administration committee agreed to take this item to the city council’s non-consent agenda.
- That means the city council gets the final say on the extension request at its Aug. 16 meeting.
- Smith said the amendment that the city council will consider to approve the delay also requires developers to open the sidewalk for public use in front of the site by March.
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