Roeland Park is envisioning more connectivity near its northern city limits.
Last week, the Roeland Park City Council unanimously voted to approve expanding an existing tax increment financing, or TIF, district to include Nall Park and the nearby Roeland Park Community Center.
By expanding the TIF district, the city can raise funds to help pay for a route to connect the park and community center to busy Roe Boulevard, giving motorists and pedestrians easier access to two of the city’s public amenities.
The city will extend Skyline Drive west
- Roeland Park plans to extend Skyline Drive — which leads into the Boulevard Apartments complex — west towards the community center and park.
- The city also wants to build a new sidewalk as part of that extended street, according to city documents.
- Sidewalk connections are also planned from the community center, city pool and sports dome to Nall Park, according to city documents.
The money will come from a special fund
- City documents show that by expanding the boundaries of the existing TIF district to include the community center and park, the city can access a special TIF fund to pay for the planned improvements.
- The money in the fund comes mainly from the Boulevard Apartments, but also from the business park east of Roe Blvd, Assistant City Administrator Jennifer Jones-Lacy said at a governing body workshop about the 2025 budget earlier this year.
- This specific district, called “TIF3” in city documents, will be retired in 2025, which is why the city plans to use the money in that fund for capital improvements, Jones-Lacy told the city council in May.
Roeland Park to work with apartment complex
- Bob Johnson, a representative of the Boulevard Apartments, told the city council last week that the complex had already had early discussions with city staff.
- Johnson said that the Boulevard Apartments is not opposed to lengthening Skyline Drive in order to connect to the park and community center grounds.
- Still, Johnson said that the apartment complex is looking forward to ongoing discussions about the impact that will have on its property.
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