Prairie Village city leaders appear to have little appetite for using public incentives for the possible redevelopment of the former Paul Henson YMCA.
On Monday, the Prairie Village City Council discussed the future of the site near 79th Street and Mission Road for the first time since the Y closed after nearly 60 years. Councilmember Greg Shelton was absent.
During the meeting, City Administrator Wes Jordan gauged the city council’s interest on partnering with developers, a handful of which have already approached city staff, he said, on a future project at the 4.82-acre property.
The Y’s closure in December came just two months after the city council killed a years-long idea to partner with the Y on a new city-owned community center that would have replaced the deteriorating Paul Henson facility.
Y officials told the Post via email that the building is currently unoccupied, but the utilities are still on.
City officials expect the property to go on the market in a matter of days.
How did we get here?
- For the past several years, the city has discussed an idea to build and pay for a city-owned community center to replace the Paul Henson Y, which would remain under the Y’s management. The Johnson County Library also considered relocating the Corinth Library branch onto the same site as a new community center.
- The city conducted two resident surveys in 2019 and 2023. The results of both surveys showed majority support for the project, though enthusiasm for the community center idea declined somewhat the second time.
- Last year, the city, the Y and the library hosted several public input sessions, revealing a design for a new community center that would have gone in Harmon Park near the city pool.
- Meanwhile, the Y’s promised financial commitment to the project fell from an original $7.5 to 10 million outlay to $3 million. Y officials also projected a $1.4 million deficit in the first years of a new community center.
- In October, the city council killed the idea to partner with the Y on the city-owned community center plan after the Y refused to commit to certain terms, such as contributing at least $7.5 million in the first two years of operation. A month later, the Y announced it would permanently close the Paul Henson facility.
Developers show interest in residential projects
- Jordan told the city council that the four or five developers with whom the city has met have presented mostly residential projects for the site.
- The projects are similar to the nearby Village Park, a townhome community off 79th Street and Mission Road, Jordan said.
- Jordan said he believes the Y property goes to market within the next week for about $3 million, and there is already a lot of interest from buyers.
- “The broker (for the Y property) said in addition to the four or five people we have met with, they have had 20 additional brokers contact them, which is not surprising,” Jordan said. “Where else is there a 4.82-acre parcel in the heart of Prairie Village and, by the way, when is there going to be another one?”
A place for the library at redeveloped Y site?
- A majority of the city council shared similar sentiments to Councilmember Inga Selders, who said she has “no appetite for offering public incentives” for development at the site.
- Councilmembers Nick Reddell, Lori Sharp, Terry O’Toole and Terrence Gallagher expressed similar sentiments.
- Still, Councilmembers Ian Graves, Sharp and Reddell all said they are interested in something happening with Johnson County Library at that site. Graves said he would be more amenable to the property being rezoned if a developer could fit the library somewhere in its plans.
- Jordan said city staff has already encouraged developers to look at a partnership with the library. The city has also alerted the library that the property is going on sale soon.
- Gallagher and O’Toole said the door is still open for developers. O’Toole said he would be more open to hearing out a developer on public incentives if that developer has already bought the site.
The city council talked about buying the property
- The city council went into an executive session to talk about the city itself buying the property, based on an idea by Councilmember Cole Robinson.
- Before going behind closed doors, Robinson did not share more about his idea for the property, but said he wanted a quick “yes” or “no” from fellow councilmembers.
- It is unclear what the specifics of that conversation were because executive sessions are closed to the public.
Go deeper: Watch the city council’s entire discussion online here, starting at 2:51:56.
