The final part of a major redevelopment plan in Overland Park called Metcalf 108 will come to life a little later than initially planned.
The Overland Park City Council on Monday approved an amendment to the development agreement and made other changes in order to delay the project’s completion timeline. That authorization gives the developer through 2026 to finish the project at I-435 and Metcalf Avenue.
Metcalf 108 is a multifaceted project
- In the past, the four-acre site was considered blighted as an old hotel deteriorated. Deputy City Manager Kristy Stallings said those issues created some public safety concerns on the property as well.
- In 2017, redevelopment began in earnest with the creation of a tax increment financing district.
- Around that time, the old hotel was demolished and a Staybridge Suites hotel was built on the site.
- The initial plans called for another phase to bring office space and parking as well.
Metcalf 108 apartments plan hasn’t changed
- Some time later though, it became clear the plans to build large-scale office space at the site simply wouldn’t be viable.
- The project plan was eventually revised to make it a mixed-use building instead, with roughly 220 apartment units, two stories of parking and some commercial space.
- The amount of incentives the city plans to issue to the project remains unchanged with Monday’s vote. However, a few timing elements have shifted.
Delay caused by outside factors, developer says
- Curtis Petersen, an attorney from Polsinelli representing the developer, said during last week’s Finance, Administration and Economic Development Committee meeting that the initial lender for the project withdrew their offer.
- The team is working on getting lined up with a new lender, which delayed progress on the project.
- KC-based Sunflower Development Group also recently signed on to help with the project. This particular company is supporting several local projects, including the Mission Bowl redevelopment and apartments in Shawnee near K-7 and 75th Street.
The city council voted 10-2 to accept a delayed timeline
Some councilmembers indicated Monday evening that they were pleased to see the shift from office to mixed-use.
“I think [the developer] made a good decision that the business office complex would not probably be viable there,” said Councilmember Scott Mosher. “We’ve already committed to him, and he’s made the plans, he’s adapted, he has something that will still overall eliminate the blight.”
Councilmember Faris Farassati also said he supports the use of incentives in this case because of the past blight on the property.
The amendments required three separate votes. Councilmembers Jeff Cox and Scott Hamblin cast the no votes on all of them.
Cox, on Monday, echoed some of his past comments from the committee meeting last week, indicating he generally supported the project but felt compelled to vote no anyway.
“I feel bad to vote against it because I think the applicant has great motive, did the right thing, served the city,” he said, “but I would like to see something else go in there if we’re going to provide tax incentives, not multifamily.”
Next steps:
- Under the new agreement, construction on the project has to start by the end of 2024.
- The apartments and retail as well as the planned parking improvements on the site all have to be meaningfully completed by the end of 2026.
More on this project: Revised Metcalf 108 apartment plan in Overland Park to get up to $11.5M in TIF
