Project Velocity, a proposed arts and entertainment district in Gardner, took multiple steps forward in the planning process this month.
On Aug. 18, the Gardner City Council adopted a resolution “approving the execution and delivery to a Non-Binding Memorandum of Understanding in connection with [Project Velocity].”
Located along 175th Street just off Interstate 35, the $1.5 billion district proposal includes a 15,000-seat indoor concert pavilion, a 6,000-seat Esports arena, a 2,500-seat performing arts center, a covered outdoor plaza, a 10-acre recreational lagoon and clubhouses, commercial spaces, a hotel and vacation villas, a for-profit college and dormitories, and parking spaces, according to the presented preliminary development plan.
The Gardner Planning Commission earlier this week approved this preliminary development plan and to rezone the proposed area for the development from rural/agricultural/single-family-residential to commercial/industrial.
Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Arts Josh Shibler said at the city council meeting that the goal of the district is to “promote the performing arts and education inside Kansas City and the greater area.”
In order to facilitate the school, there would be entertainment venues and retail components, Shibler said.
“That’s really based around this arts mission to make sure we get accredited educational opportunities for people that want to pursue careers in music, media, film and post-production,” Shibler said.
Traffic flow, road improvements and utilities
Meanwhile, planning commissioners at their meeting on Monday, Aug. 24, expressed concerns about traffic, road improvements and sourcing the utilities for the project.
Based on the scale of the development, Gardner Deputy Director of Community Development Magi Brewster said the city may not be able to serve the development with utilities, which is something they are discussing with the applicant. Other sources for electricity, water, and wastewater would be necessary, said Brewster.
The results of a primary traffic impact study were presented as well. Proposed improvements were:
- 175th street widening to three thru lanes in both directions from Cedar Niles to Clare Road,
- the addition of an eastbound left-turn lane at 175th Street and Clare Road,
- the installation of a traffic signal and right-turn lane at 175th Street and the northbound I-35 ramp,
- and the installation of a traffic signal and right-turn lane at 175th Street and southbound I-35 and southbound right- and left-turn lanes.
Widening Clare Road, paving 167th street, and improving the Clare Road bridge were also proposed.
Public financing requests
The developers are requesting multiple incentives to fund this project: state Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bonds; a 2% community improvement district (CID) sales tax; 1% transportation development district (TDD) sales tax; industrial revenue bonds; state and local sales tax; and the use of transient guest tax revenue not otherwise committed, said City Administrator Jim Pruetting.
“The decision by Gardner to grant incentives will be based on the project providing significant public benefits that justify the use of incentives,” Pruetting said. “Additional information is necessary to formulate an effective financing plan for the project and determine the public infrastructure needs that it will generate.”
Once the STAR bonds earn state approval, the amount will be used to figure out the full financial plan for the entire incentives package. Gardner city officials expect that to be revealed in the next four to eight weeks.
City officials, project CEO highlight “exciting” opportunity
Councilmember Mark Wiehn said that this is an “exciting” opportunity for Gardner, especially regarding the walkability of the district.
“Something we should look at is how do we continue to make that area . . . walkable from Velocity down to the rest of Gardner and back up again,” Wiehn said.
Also, during the public hearing portion of the planning commission meeting, longtime Gardner resident Andrea Brammell expressed that this development would be beneficial for Gardner’s “booming” population, which according to her has outgrown the commercial developments for residents.
“This project will connect Gardner to Olathe to the Kansas City metro,” Brammell said. “If you don’t do it, more warehouses are gonna build up a wall, and we are gonna continue being surrounded by what Olathe wants, by what Spring Hill wants, not by what Gardner residents and business owners want.”
At the planning commission meeting, CEO Shibler shared more about the development’s goals for bringing the arts to the Gardner community.
“The goal is to really integrate into the community and provide the facilities and opportunities that aren’t largely available in public education,” Shibler said. “We’ll have our own youth symphony, practice spaces, places for people to perform. We’ll work with the local school districts to promote their programs and provide the venues and spaces for them as well.”
