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Roeland Park advances preliminary concept for mixed-use development on vacant land at Johnson Drive and Roe

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A rendering of the proposed concepts for Johnson Drive and Roe looking northeast.
A rendering of the proposed concepts for Johnson Drive and Roe looking northeast.

By Holly Cook

Plans to develop the northeast corner of Johnson Drive and Roe Boulevard inched forward Monday after the Roeland Park City Council gave full consensus to collaborate with real estate company Colliers International on developing the 2.69-acre site.

Preliminary plans include construction of a 30,000 square-foot, mixed-use building that would accommodate restaurant/retail space on the first floor and offices on the second and third floors.

In their development plan, Colliers International noted the importance of creating an “inviting layout accompanied by first-class architecture and a desirable mix of uses.”

Jason Glasrud, development manager at CBC Real Estate Group, said the economic terms of the project have not yet been discussed and that the proposal should be viewed as a high-level conceptual plan. Roeland Park entered an agreement with CBC early this year to explore options for developing the land, which is owned by the city.

Glasrud said Colliers International had worked with several well-known restaurant concepts in the area and that the group intended to bring the same “high -quality, full-service local restaurant experience to Roeland Park.”

Colliers International has developed several mixed-use projects in Johnson County including Mission Farms in Leawood and Woodside Village in Westwood.

During discussion about the proposal Monday, Councilwoman Becky Fast noted some concerns with the proposed height of the building. Mayor Joel Marquardt said surveys indicated residents were supportive of a two to three-story development and noted that increasing the height of the structure allowed for more space between the building and adjacent residences.

Fast also noted the importance of addressing the new storm water needs that will come with losing green space on the site and the addition of impervious surface. Stormwater runoff from parking lots can contribute to flooding along Johnson County’s creeks.

“It’s more development that’s really going to hit hard the cities down Turkey Creek,” she said.

Glasrud acknowledged that incorporating appropriate infrastructure will be a key part of the development.

The economic development committee will now move forward with working on the financial details of the site with Colliers International.

Glasrud said the developer hopes to move a finalized development plan to the council in early 2018 and start construction in the summer of 2018.

A rendering of the proposal looking west on Johnson Drive.
A rendering of the proposal looking west on Johnson Drive.

About the author

Jay Senter
Jay Senter

Jay Senter is the founder and publisher of the Post.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in business at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where he worked as a reporter and editor at The Badger Herald.

He went on to receive a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas, where he earned the Calder Pickett Award. While he was in graduate school, he also worked as a reporter for the Lawrence Journal-World.

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