Final development plans for an office tower that will define Leawood’s skyline in the future were approved on a unanimous vote by the city council on Monday night, after brief discussion.
It was a vote that facilitates construction on the 12-story building that will become the new home of insurance brokerage Lockton, currently located on Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer, with a 2030 move-in date.
With a proposed height of 176 feet, the Lockton headquarters will be a presence along Interstate 435 — the first building in the first phase of the $765 million Hallbrook North project near College Boulevard and State Line Road. The city council also on Monday approved plans for a 6,000-square-foot corporate retreat center.
Other buildings proposed for the first phase, including a hotel, retail shops, multifamily residences and childcare center, were not included in the city council’s vote. A second phase envisions an expansion of Lockton’s headquarters space, more multifamily units and another office building.
The city council granted VanTrust Real Estate a variance to exceed 90 feet, which is normally the maximum height allowed in mixed-use developments like Hallbrook North. That height can be exceeded if two-thirds of the city council approves.
According to a city FAQ page, exceptions can be allowed if the building will be a landmark or if the slope of the land makes the height reasonable. The project’s land slopes downward from east to west, according to the website, reducing the visual impact from State Line Road.
The page also notes that three other structures in the Hallbrook North project are proposed to be above 90 feet — the headquarters expansion building, 140 feet, and two apartment buildings, each 120 feet.
How they voted
Here’s how each Leawood councilmember voted on Monday night.
Matt Peppes: Yes
Alan Sunkel: Yes
Mary Larson: Yes
Sherrie Gayed: Yes
Rachel Rubin: Yes
Lisa Harrison: Yes
Julie Cain: Yes
Steve Kaster: Yes
Councilmembers were generally complimentary about the project. But Councilmember Lisa Harrison raised a question about stormwater runoff, saying some residents remain concerned that it might raise the potential for flooding.
Engineers for the developer have said they don’t plan to build a water detention basin because water would move off the property more quickly without one. Harrison asked the developer to remain open to residents’ concerns if experience proves otherwise.
“We have to respect the concerns of residents who have had flooding issues in their homes and yards in the past,” she said. Given a changing climate with less frequent but heavier storms, Harrison urged them to use native plantings that absorb more water.
She also asked them to work with the city and residents after the first phase is built, if it turns out water runoff is a problem.
The project will have a dry basin with native vegetation designed to clean and slow down average rainfall.
Keep reading: Lockton’s Leawood office tower will be twice city’s normal height limit — Here’s what it will look like
