Leawood residents at Tuesday’s open house on the historic city hall and Fire Station No. 1 saw a revised list of options significantly different from the ones last discussed at a city council meeting in June.
The open house on how to develop the two vacant buildings into a community green space at 96th Street and Lee Boulevard drew a stream of engaged residents who pored over the latest plans by consultant BBN Architects Inc.
The four concepts presented this week were the latest iteration, following discussions with councilmembers and a survey of residents that has been in progress since last fall.
Read more about the project information here.
The concepts on display at the open house deviated from those discussed at a recent Leawood city council meeting. Several residents at that meeting pushed to repurpose the tiny city hall building as a coffee or ice cream shop.
Proposed playgrounds, a walking loop and parking remained on all the options, but the community garden and demonstration garden were removed. A community garden currently exists on the property.
Another option called for restoring the city hall building so that it could be fully usable again, rather than a stabilized but vacant shell that had been discussed at earlier meetings.
Buildings date back to the 1950s
The future of the historic Leawood buildings has been on the city council’s agenda off and on for 16 years, as city leaders have weighed the preservation of suburban history against its cost.
The two buildings sit next to each other on a small parcel of land at 96th Street and Lee Boulevard. The city hall and original fire station were built in the 1950s, shortly after the city was incorporated in 1948.
The original fire station opened in 1951, and an addition was built in 1960. It was retired in 2024, but an antique fire truck is still stored there. A new fire station has since opened next door to the old city hall.
The 1,100-square-foot city hall building used to house city, police and fire offices as well as a city council meeting room which was small even back then. Except for some storage, it has not been used since 1994.
Both old buildings have problems, but finding a use for the old city hall has proved more problematic because of its size, its lack of handicapped accessibility and the presence of mold, asbestos and lead paint.
Idea for coffee shop has persisted among some residents
City leaders and BBN Architects have already explored several options for making the space into a green, public area. At the most recent city council meeting, all the plans presented penciled in a playground, parking and community garden space.
But disagreements persisted about what to do with the city hall.
Because of its many drawbacks, a consensus appeared to be building in January to remove it or replace it with a monument of some kind rather than attempt to bring it back to life. There was also talk of doing just enough basic repairs to keep the building from further deterioration and preserving it for future use.
But a few councilmembers balked at the cost of that, which came to an estimated $630,000.
However, the idea of putting a coffee shop in the old city hall space has taken hold with some northern Leawood residents, who drew up a petition for that use that now has over 780 signers.
The latest concepts, presented Tuesday night, all kept a walking loop and parking, but omitted a splash feature from the playground. City hall was proposed as a usable space, but there was no specific mention of a coffee shop or any other use for it.
A closer look at the 4 options
- Option A scoots the city hall building off its basement and puts it further north, closer to the former fire station. That option removes the porches (which were added on after it was built) and adds a kitchenette. The former fire station would have picnic tables and be open on two-and-a-half sides. The cost, roughly estimated by the architect, would range from $2.3 million to $2.6 million.
- Option B removes the city hall altogether and replaces it with a monument. In that option, the fire station would be enclosed and have a kitchenette. Estimated cost: $1.7 million to $1.9 million.
- Option C also removes city hall but does not include a monument to memorialize it. The fire station in this option would also be enclosed. Estimated cost $1.4 million to $1.6 million.
- Option D keeps city hall at its current location with full access and a kitchenette but does not keep the former fire station. Estimated cost $2.1 million to $2.4 million.
Presentation materials from the open house can be found here.
Residents react to options at open house
About 40 people showed up to the open house within the first 45 minutes, and most of them filled out comment cards with widely varying opinions.
There were several in support of a coffee or ice cream shop, but views were mixed on which concept to take. One resident whose property abuts the area asked for a wooden privacy fence and strongly opposed any retail use of the buildings.
Elaine Reussner said she’s lived in Leawood since 1962 and would like to see a meeting space on the city property. The neighborhood has been missing a gathering place, and “I hate to see the buildings torn down,” she said.
Heather Curry was a signer of the online coffee shop petition. She said several neighborhood women have been meeting for years for coffee, and the location is especially convenient for her because she lives less than a mile away.
“I think it’s a great idea, especially if they put in a playground. The moms can have coffee, and the kids can be there,” she said.
Curry and her husband, Jerry Curry, started growing vegetables in the existing community garden this year.
“I think there’s room for a playground and a community garden,” she said.
Jim Mitchum said he leans toward keeping the fire station and removing city hall.
“The fire station is more interesting to children and also less expensive,” he said. “We need to keep the total cost in mind.”
His wife, Terry Mitchum, said she’s open to removing the city hall but keeping a monument there. “I like the idea of having some remembrance of city hall but not necessarily keeping the building,” she said.
Next steps:
Mayor Marc Elkins has said he would like the city council to reach a decision by the end of the year.
The next step would be putting a plan forward to the planning commission, after councilmembers have landed on a concept they can support.
Keep reading: Options for future of old Leawood city hall include preserving or demolishing historic building
