The $2 billion Brookridge mixed-use development project in Overland Park near I-435 and Antioch Road is behind schedule.
On Monday, the Overland Park City Council voted 8-2 to approve a continuance on the first of two community improvement districts associated with the Brookridge project, now dubbed Meridian.
Councilmember Faris Farassati opposed the extension, in line with his past votes against incentives for Brookridge and some other developments in Overland Park. Councilmember Scott Hamblin also voted no.
Councilmembers Melissa Cheatham and Holly Grummert were absent from the meeting.
What’s happening?
This type of incentive, usually called a CID, levies a special sales tax on a set geographic area for a certain period of time. The money raised by the temporary tax is then used to reimburse the developer for certain costs incurred.
In this case, the two CIDs associated with the Brookridge project are expected to raise a combined $47 million over their lifetimes on top of other incentives. The incentive package Overland Park approved for Brookridge is valued at roughly $200 million.
Plus, the Kansas Department of Transportation contributed $8 million for infrastructure improvements in the area. The Kansas Department of Commerce also kicked in a $10 million Building a Stronger Economy grant.
This isn’t the first Brookridge incentive delay
- The vote Monday delays the timeline on one of the special 1.5% sales taxes applied to the district.
- Initially, the sales tax was expected to start in 2022 and was later pushed back to 2024.
- Now, the special sales tax won’t start until mid-2026.
- Bob Johnson, a Polsinelli attorney who represents the developer, Curtin Property, told the Overland Park City Council Finance, Administration and Economic Development Committee last week that there’s no sense in starting the clock on the sales tax since there’s no commercial activity at the site yet.
The community broke ground on Brookridge this year
- After about a decade of discussion and several years of neighborhood opposition, Curtin Property officially started the physical construction of the 200-acre Brookridge Golf and Fitness redevelopment at the end of August.
- At the time, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog, Johnson County Chair Mike Kelly and other state and local leaders celebrated the effort.
- Gov. Kelly called it “one of the greatest and most ambitious mixed-use developments in Kansas history.” She also said it “reflects the spirit of the new Kansas.”
Looking ahead:
- The first building, a mixed-use building with more than 300 apartment units and nearly 3,000 square feet of commercial space, should be completed sometime in 2026.
- That’s about a year later than previously planned.
- The full scope of the work is expected to take years to accomplish, split into multiple phases.
Looking back: $2B Brookridge project in Overland Park officially breaks ground
