At the start of 2025, the Johnson County Post is looking ahead to some of the major development projects that we are keeping an eye on this year, including those that have already begun work or are anticipated to start in the next 12 months. This story focuses on projects in Olathe. See our previous breakdowns of Overland Park north of I-435 and south of I-435.
As 2025 gets underway, the Post is taking a look at some major development and redevelopment projects in Olathe.
From plans to reinvest to major new construction, here are some of the prominent projects in Olathe that we’ve got our eye on this year.
Gateway STAR bond district — 119th and Renner
Lamar Hunt Jr. and his son-in-law James Arkell are behind a $320 million “ultra-accessible” special incentive district near 119th Street and Renner Boulevard that features a multi-sport complex, amusement park, retail and other elements.
The project is eligible for a maximum issuance of $65 million in state STAR bonds, as well as an additional $10 million in reimbursement from a Community Improvement District sales tax and $29.3 million in reimbursement from an existing Tax Increment Financing district.
The two centerpieces of the project are an 11-acre amusement park fully accessible to children with physical disabilities, along with a 5,500-seat sports arena.
In the plan, there is also a 160-room hotel and 10 commercial pad sites for future retail and dining, as well as a centrally-located gathering space for community events.
The expectation is to break ground on the site this spring, with the aim of opening it in 2026 ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Kansas City.
Downtown Olathe restaurants
In late 2024, city and Olathe Chamber of Commerce officials announced that three popular KC restaurants have plans to open new locations in downtown Olathe.
That trio includes Char Bar, Third Street Social and Pizza 51.
Pizza 51 and Third Street Social — opening at 200 S. Kansas Ave., and 135 S. Kansas Ave., respectively — are both expected to open sometime this year and are already working on applications to the city for incentives and planning requirements.
It is unclear when Char Bar intends to open its downtown Olathe location.
The trio of restaurants’ arrival in downtown Olathe marks a turning point for the area following years of civic reinvestment. While new government facilities and new downtown library branch came online, local leaders have still pushed to bring new business to the area, too, emphasizing dining options.
Rosebud Plaza redevelopment — Santa Fe and Mur-Len
Local real estate developer David Christie acquired the majority of the vacant and dilapidated Rosebud Plaza Shopping Center at the northeast corner of Santa Fe Street and Mur-Len Road and has plans to revitalize it with a $26 million investment.
A new pickleball-focused entertainment venue has signed on to open a facility at the shopping center, and QuikTrip has signaled plans to relocate a store there.
The project — now dubbed Indian Creek Crossings — is also expected to get about $7 million in reimbursements through two separate public incentives.
Cedar Ridge mixed-use — Cedar Creek Parkway and Valley Parkway
Oddo Development got approval in 2024 to build a large mixed-use development in Olathe’s high-end Cedar Creek area off Kansas Highway 10, just south of Lenexa.
In all, 300 apartment units are proposed in one E-shaped multistory building that will also have 5,000 square feet of commercial space. An additional 10 townhome units that will be owner-occupied are planned across two buildings.
There will also be nearly 29,000 square feet of stand-alone commercial space for retail and restaurants.
The exact timeline of the project is unclear, but it is expected to be built out in phases, beginning with the mixed-use building.
Olathe Commons — 119th and I-35
Atlanta-based Peak Made Real Estate intends to build a new Olathe neighborhood aimed at filling a “missing middle” housing gap.
“Missing middle” housing is more attainable and typically geared toward renters, first-time homebuyers and residents looking to downsize.
The Olathe Commons project, planned near the Olathe Point Shopping Center, would feature a total of 214 dwelling units, including some cottage-court-style single-family homes as well as townhomes.
Park 169 — US-169 and 167th Street
Park 169 is a 250-acre mixed residential and industrial project planned in southern Olathe near U.S. Highway 169 and 167th Street by the Burlington Northern Railroad tracks.
On the residential side, there will be a mix of hundreds of single-family homes, townhomes and apartments. More than 700 housing units are proposed.
As for the industrial side, Blue Springs Safety Storage South LLC — the developer — has requested nearly $253 million in incentives to help finance more than 1.5 million square feet of new warehouse and other industrial space.
Pathway at Heritage Park — 159th & Black Bob
Infrastructure installation is ongoing at the site of the future 14-home Habitat for Humanity pocket neighborhood near 159th Street and Black Bob Road.
The homes planned in the future neighborhood will be offered to eligible applicants at below-market cost, and the land on which the homes will stand is to remain in a trust.
Physical vertical construction is expected to begin by mid-2025.
This project could become a model for other Habitat pocket neighborhoods in Johnson County in the future.
