Developers have revealed new details and conceptual renderings for planned renovations to the aging Merigold Plaza strip mall in downtown Shawnee.
At the Aug. 5 Shawnee Planning Commission meeting, the site’s property owners Karra Brothers, LLC, and developer Kevin Tubbesing, discussed the final site plan for the small retail complex at the 5900 block of Nieman Road.
That site has long been the target of developers and city officials, who see it as a key final piece to the years-long effort to remake Shawnee’s downtown area.
On Aug. 5, the commission approved the plan, as well as a sign modification and final plat with an 11-0 vote.
The plans call for a complete overhaul of the site, which currently contains a tobacco shop and Merigold Wine and Spirits Store.
The plan had setbacks in 2023
In 2023, plans were pitched to the Shawnee City Council to renovate the more than 14,000-square-foot strip mall space.
While the previous council narrowly approved a $1.5 million grant in March 2023, the funding was never issued because construction didn’t start and no new businesses ever moved in.
After funding fell through, Karra Brothers, LLC, brought Tubbesing into the fold to help hone the vision for the plaza and pitch a new plan to the Shawnee city government.
So far, that plan has worked. In June, Tubbesing helped secure an amended development agreement with the city for a previously approved $1.5 million economic development grant for the renovation and up to $3 million in federally taxable private activity bonds.
 A lot of changes planned for the plaza
With the plan, the site would undergo significant changes.
The rebuilt complex would have four new restaurant spaces and one retail space in the northern part of the plaza.
The existing Merigold Wine and Spirits store would move to the southern part of the property.
There would also be the addition of an alley and a 30-foot outdoor patio on the property’s exterior facing Nieman Road.
The plan also calls for more than 30 new additional parking spots, including some compact car spots, which will be available to all downtown visitors.
Here’s what the reimagined Merigold Plaza complex would look like, based on renderings shown to the Shawnee Planning Commission earlier this month:
Commissioners were concerned with parking
During the Aug. 5 meeting, Tubbesing mentioned repeatedly the project’s proposed parking situation, highlighting that it would help alleviate parking problems downtown.
But commissioners, including Joe Van Walleghem, worried that it might cram too many vehicles together.
“I’ve been around since this was a grocery store and fully occupied center,” he said. “This parking lot has previously already accommodated quite a bit of traffic, historically … is this parking lot going to be substantially smaller an area than it has been?”
The plaza will have a mixture of parking for both compact, standard and large vehicles, Tubbesing said, as well as room still for the patio for outdoor dining.
“We’re going with more parking than we had and adding a 30-foot patio,” he said. “That was my vision of the best way to pull this off and not just have another strip mall.”
New parking spots in front of the retail store will be 18 feet long, as opposed to 20 feet long, according to the revised plan.
“Typically we require parking spaces to be 20 [feet long], so those spaces will be identified for compact parking spaces,” said Lauren Grashoff, deputy community development director.
Commission excited by the plan
While some commissioners were skeptical of the parking space situation, they remained positive about the overall project.
“I applaud anything that’s going to make that spot look a little bit better,” Commissioner Bill Holick said.
Acknowledging the challenges the site and the Karra family have faced trying to renovate the site, Commissioner Leo Nunnink extended his praise.
“Considering this has been sitting there for so many years just looking horrible, as we all know,” he said, “I commend you on working with what you’ve got. I think is a difficult spot to work (in terms of) space (and) getting more parking. So, my comment is let’s get some quality tenants.”
Cleaning up the site could give the area a uniform look that people have been wanting, Commissioner Kathy Peterson said.
“We seem to be having two different things here — Johnson Drive looks one way, and Neiman Road looks another, with this being so close to the intersection of both,” she said. “I think it’s a very good way to look at really cleaning up a lot of things in one fell swoop.”
What’s next?
The Shawnee City Council is poised to now vote on a final site plan for the project at its meeting on Aug. 26.
Go deeper: Shawnee OKs revised plan to remake downtown strip mall. What’s different this time?
