Key Rainbow Boulevard properties in Westwood are changing hands in 2024.
The properties between 50th and 51st streets along Rainbow Boulevard are changing ownership later this year in connection to the Karbank Real Estate Company’s office-retail project. That development has sparked pushback from residents and neighbors who are concerned about the project changing the character of Westwood.
Plans involve the sale of the city-owned properties along the corridor as well as the original Westwood View Elementary building, currently occupied by students from Rushton Elementary.
The city, Karbank and the Shawnee Mission School District originally anticipated closing on the sales of all properties in January 2024.
That timeline has been pushed back to August because Rushton Elementary needs to use the original Westwood View building until the end of the spring semester.
A breakdown of the property sales
- Karbank is purchasing city-owned property along Rainbow Boulevard.
- Currently, the city owns the land of the former Westwood Christian Church site and Joe D. Dennis Park.
- The city is purchasing the former Westwood View Elementary school building, 2511 W. 50st St., with Karbank’s money.
- In late spring 2023, Shawnee Mission agreed to sell the original elementary school building for $2.65 million.
The closing periods changed in November
- Westwood Mayor David Waters told the Post via email in December that the city, Karbank and the school district extended the due diligence and closing periods back in November.
- Waters said Shawnee Mission would be ready to vacate the site at the end of July, which is why the timeline shifted.
- Westwood City Administrator Leslie Herring told the Post via email in December that the due diligence periods are set to expire on July 2.
- Anticipated closing is on or before Aug. 1, 2024, she said.
- “The park will remain open and unrestricted until the sale closes,” Herring said.
Karbank’s project envisions six buildings, 3.5+ acre park
- The October-approved plan calls for four multistory office and retail buildings and two “pavilion” retail structures.
- These buildings will be built where the 1-acre Joe D. Dennis Park and the land of the old Westwood Christian Church currently sit.
- The 3.86 acres of land Karbank is giving to the city of Westwood is where the original Westwood View elementary school still stands.
- This land is intended to become a public park, which the city is on the hook for as far as development.
- Residents see this as a loss of green space because they currently use the 1-acre park, the former church site and the original school building as park land.
What’s next:
- A park planning steering committee is set to start work on the public park that the city is getting as a result of the Karbank project.
- Mayor Waters previously told the Post that the steering committee will help select a professional park designer, give and get community features and guide the overall development of the park.
- The city announced via email on Dec. 22 that it is also reviewing the legality of a petition submitted on Dec. 12 that calls for a public vote to be held on the Karbank project.
Go deeper: City, residents trade legal threats over Westwood office project
