
Today, we’re going to take a look at the 95th Street portion of the plan.
95th Street

What Vision Metcalf Called for:
- A transformation of the area marked by the replacement of “outdated retail” with new shops and entertainment options
- A large public park near the intersection of 95th and Metcalf that would be a “grand public green space.”
- A new city hall building adjacent to the park that would “provide citizens of Overland Park with a centerpiece for the entire [Metcalf] Corridor.”

What’s happened:
- A good deal of work is underway to replace aging retail centers near 95th Street — though not all the projects reflect the kinds of mixed-use development called for in the plan.
- LANE4 Property Group purchased the Metcalf South and French Market sites at the intersection, and initially proposed a large mixed-use project called Central Square for the land. But negotiations with the city fell apart (for reasons that are still somewhat unclear), and the company instead advanced a plan for a Lowe’s-anchored retail site on the Metcalf South property, which is currently under construction.
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The Promontory project is well out of the ground. The city and and LANE4 have reportedly been in talks about the city purchasing the French Market site as a possible location for a new city hall, as envisioned in Vision Metcalf. But some members of the city council are arguing that the city-owned property at 123rd and Foster adjacent to the W. Jack Sanders Justice Center would make more sense as the population center moves south.
- A bit down the road, developers are working on the new mixed-use Promontory project, which will include retail and housing on the site of the former Glenwood Shopping Center.
- And developers have approached the city about getting public finance incentives to update the aging Regency Park shopping center.
Tomorrow we’ll take a look at the portion of the corridor just north of I-435, as well as how the city’s own analysis of Vision Metcalf rates overall progress.
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