Leawood had a busy year last year, and it’s about to get busier this year, Mayor Marc Elkins said as he gave his third annual State of the City speech.

On Thursday at the Ironhorse Golf Course, Elkins outlined highlights from 2025, including a helmet requirement for youths on electric-powered wheels, the adoption of a city strategic plan, Tomahawk Creek Parkway reconstruction and the decision by insurance broker Lockton to move from Kansas City, Missouri, into a new Leawood development.

But the semiquincentennial (250th anniversary) of the United States and the World Cup coming up this summer won’t afford much time to coast, Elkins told a crowd of more than 100 who had gathered for the speech and lunch at the Ironhorse Golf Club.

Below is a video recording of Elkins’ State of the City address.

The annual “state of” speeches are a chance for city and county leaders to review accomplishments and mention challenges coming up. Elkins listed the strategic plan — a visioning document of goals for quality of life, city finance and budgeting, infrastructure, community engagement and business development — as a top accomplishment of the past year.

He also praised city park and street improvements, including a new playground at Tomahawk Park.

A push for safer streets after tragedy struck

After leading a moment of silence to remember Duke Ommert, the 10-year-old boy who was killed in a collision with a vehicle last October while riding his e-scooter, Elkins also mentioned several pedestrian safety measures in addition to the helmet ordinance.

Projects are afoot to improve sidewalks along 83rd and 103rd Streets, for instance. The Leawood City Council also has approved a full stoplight at 103rd and Pawnee streets, as well as dropping the speed limit on Lee Boulevard from 35 to 30 miles an hour.

Also, city leaders are embarking on a Safe Streets and Roads for All action plan, a comprehensive study through federal and state grants of pedestrian infrastructure designed to make streets safer.

Leawood wins Lockton

Elkins also singled out the Lockton relocation as a sign of Leawood’s strong economic health. Lockton, one of the world’s largest insurance corporations, will move its headquarters into the new Hallbrook North development.

Other accomplishments included the end of a requirement for pet licenses, an online permitting portal and “on time and on budget” completion of the Tomahawk Creek Parkway, a project that also addressed drainage issues.

No word on fate of historic city hall site

One of the city’s longest-running efforts, however, went unmentioned. City council members and staff have spent hours over the past several months trying to find the best use for a small parcel of land at 96th Street and Lee Boulevard on which the 1950s era city hall and fire station buildings site. It is a question that has been debated off and on for about 16 years.

After multiple city meetings and public open houses, the city council finally decided that the old city hall building, which is small and has several health and accessibility issues, would be demolished to make more room for a park and other amenities on the property.

But the city planning commission dealt a surprise near the end of the year by delaying its recommendation on the project. Elkins had said repeatedly that he hoped to get the final approval done before the end of 2025.

Elkins said after the speech that he didn’t include the old fire station property because discussions on it aren’t finished yet.

World Cup preparations

The country’s 250th birthday and the World Cup dominated the list of future plans. Guests took home light scarves with the “Leawood for the Goal,” the city’s World Cup branding. Elkins mentioned an upcoming 3×3 soccer tournament the city is putting on, as well as plans for an Independence Day Parade along Tomahawk Creek Parkway.

He also said the city will seek volunteer groups to do litter pickup and cleanup ahead of the big summer events. “When you throw a party, you’ve got to clean the house first, and that’s what we’re going to be doing,” he said.