Shawnee is overhauling the area in front of its city hall downtown with the hopes that the improvements foster a sense of community and enhance pedestrian and traffic safety.
Next week, work is expected to be complete on phase one of the downtown Shawnee streetscape project, including a redesigned pedestrian plaza on Johnson Drive, sidewalk repairs and new warning signals alerting traffic to pedestrians. The work is expected to be open by Memorial Day.
Shawnee also removed an aging fountain in front of city hall as part of the overhaul.
The estimated $860,000 project has been underway since December 2024. Funds for it came entirely from federal American Rescue Plan Act money, as well as state dollars from the Kansas Neighborhood Revitalization Act.
Phase two of the work centered around construction of a pavilion on the new pedestrian plaza for live performances and featured artists is planned for next year or 2027.
Work aims to make downtown Shawnee more walkable
The faulty fountain that was previously in the middle of the streetscape in front of Shawnee City Hall was the impetus for the project.
City crews encountered a number of problems with the water feature, including leaks, a constant need for maintenance and having to keep it chlorinated.
A few years ago, the city ultimately decided to remove it, along with several cement planter boxes, assistant city manager Lauren Grashoff said.
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“How do we use that space better?”
Looking at the original design from the early 2000s, the city and Lenexa-based engineering firm GBA saw a number of barriers, including the fountain and concrete planters, that impeded on people’s walking paths in front of city hall.
The barriers were particularly noticeable during big events like Moonlight Market and Christkindlmarkt, the city’s annual holiday-themed outdoor market.
“(The fountain) effectively, kind of cut the streetscape in half … It really sort of broke up that streetscape, and not in a beneficial way,” Grashoff said.
Knowing how much people use the area in front of city hall for both for walking and relaxing, they wanted to make the experience smoother, she said.
“(We thought), ‘How do we use that space better as an opportunity, both when the street’s open as well as when it’s closed for events?’ So, that was really kind of the direction we went when we looked at the redesign of that street front,” Grashoff said.
Johnson Drive is getting enhanced crosswalks
Another big problem in downtown Shawnee encountered over the years: People crossing Johnson Drive, between the designated crosswalks at Barton Drive and Nieman Road, right in the middle of the street.
While the city is thankful no one ever got injured, they wanted to address it before an crash or injury happened.
“We were worried that that was just a matter of time, and so we wanted to, with the streetscape work, also help direct pedestrians to the improved intersections and where they’re really intended to be walking,” she said.
The work includes enhancements like a rapid flashing beacon at the Barton intersection to warn drivers of pedestrians, as well as pedestrian barriers to protect people on the sidewalk if a vehicle drives off the road.
The city wants improvements to foster community
With the new design of the streetscape, Grashoff said she hopes it sends a message that the city wants to continue providing and enhancing places where people can gather in the city.
“Everything we have going on downtown, we understand that it’s as much private investment as it is public,” she said. “We share a lot of the parking elements, those gathering spaces, and we want to just provide that for the community.”
“I think it just really continues to show the investment we have in our downtown and making this really a special place for residents and visitors,” she added.
What’s next
For phase two of the project, the city is looking to build a covered pavilion on the property.
Shawnee has applied for a several grants for 2026 funding to finalize the design. It is looking at a possible late 2026 or early 2027 date for construction.
“(We’re) setting literally the foundation for that new plaza area in this phase, and then looking towards that second phase,” Grashoff said.
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