Merriam Grand Station, the redevelopment of the former Kmart site at Shawnee Mission Parkway and Antioch Road, is set to break ground on Monday. Image via city documents.
Why it matters: The formal groundbreaking of the $130 million development marks the beginning of what promises to be a major remaking of the site at Shawnee Mission Parkway and Antioch Road, where the vacant big box store has stood for more than a decade.
State of play: Drake Development, the Overland Park-based developer, is hosting a groundbreaking at the site Monday afternoon at 2 p.m., according to an email invitation sent to the Post.
A representative from Drake Development could not be immediately reached for comment for this story on Monday morning.
Merriam city officials also could not be immediately reached for comment on Monday, either.
The Kmart on the site closed more than a decade ago. File photo.
Background: The Merriam City Council gave its final stamp of approval to the $130 million mixed-use Merriam Grand Station redevelopment in July.
The project features 10,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space, 10,000 square feet of civic space and two apartment buildings with at least 350 units total.
What follows Merriam Grand Station groundbreaking
The timeline for Merriam Grand Station calls for demolition and site work to begin on or before Dec. 31.
According to the development agreement, the commercial and residential parts of the plan need to be “pad ready” on or before Dec. 31, 2023.
Developers need to be finished with the infrastructure construction in 2024.
The three restaurants included in the plan and the other “outparcel” elements need to be completed and operational on or before June 30, 2025.
By December 2025, the parking portion of the project needs to be completed.
The entire project needs to be completed in four years, by December 2026.
Zooming out: A Krispy Kreme donut shop and Freddy’s restaurant near the site on Shawnee Mission Parkway will stay put.
Meanwhile, a Pegah’s restaurant on the corner of Shawnee Mission Parkway and Antioch has already closed to make way for Merriam Grand Station.
Going deeper: Read about the Kmart site’s history in the Post’s timeline here.
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