Developers received a final stamp of approval this week to begin remaking the former Prairie Village Macy’s, which has sat vacant for years.
The Prairie Village Planning Commission on Tuesday voted 6-1 to approve an updated site plan to redevelop the former department store at the Shops of Prairie Village. Commissioner Jim Breneman cast the lone dissenting vote.
This comes a month after the planning commission previously tabled Maryland-based First Washington Realty’s site plan due to concerns with landscaping, grade and pedestrian safety.
The commission’s vote clears the path for First Washington, which owns the Shops of Prairie Village complex, to begin working on the Macy’s project, which envisions a two-story building anchored by a Hen House grocery store on the first floor and four retail spaces on the second floor.
This is the latest plan in a series of revised versions — and one groundbreaking that never materialized — that developers have been working on since Macy’s closed in 2020.
Mayor Eric Mikkelson has previously noted that grading issues on the site at the northwestern corner of 71st and Mission are a major investment on the developers’ part, and may result in a request for public incentives.
Developer addresses grade, landscape concerns
- Gregg Zike, a senior vice president for First Washington, told the planning commission on Tuesday that the revised plan addresses commissioners’ previous concerns.
- This includes the addition of 33 trees along the border of the development facing both Mission Road and 71st Street.
- The updated plan also reduces a 12% grade ramp to a 10.5% grade ramp near the Alhambra Street entrance off 71st Street. Planning commissioners were concerned that the 12% grade was too steep.
- A 10.5% grade ramp represents an increase of five vertical feet within about a 48-foot horizontal area, developers told the Post.
- The October plan also installs a new sidewalk along 71st Street west of Alhambra Street toward the former Blue Moose Grill restaurant on the southwest corner of the site.
‘Appreciate the level of effort’
- Generally, planning commissioners this week expressed appreciation at First Washington’s attempts at addressing their concerns with the project.
- Commissioner Jon Birkel said the additional landscaping included in the new plan is “quite a big improvement.”
- Separately from the Macy’s project itself, Birkel questioned whether the city itself is looking at improving pedestrian safety along 71st Street at Mission Road, where there is currently no sidewalk in the public right-of-way.
- Commissioner Jeffrey Valentino said he does “appreciate the level of effort” developers put into changing the plan, but recognizes that more can always be done.
- “For me personally, I think everything I had concerns with has been addressed — at least to the best of an extent possible,” Valentino said.
Next steps:
- Tuesday’s approval requires no Prairie Village City Council action.
- Deputy City Administrator Nickie Lee told the Post that First Washington can apply for a building permit and begin construction on the project.
- Any public incentive requests would go through the city council, but developers have yet to formally request anything, Lee said.
Go deeper: Watch the planning commission’s entire conversation online here, starting at 1:16:46.
