Plans advance for South Kansas City upscale multifamily project

The Kansas City Council has approved rezoning of about 50 acres near the Grandview Triangle in the Hickman Mills area, clearing the way for the first new upscale residential project in that pocket of South Kansas City in a generation. 

Construction is expected to begin on the first phase of the River Birch Townhomes project in late summer, with 27 fourplex buildings completed in 2020. At full buildout, development plans call for construction of 204 units in 51 two-story buildings built in two phases. 

The $28 million project is being developed by James Ellis of HC Realty Development Co. and aims to attract young professionals working at Cerner Corporation’s Innovation Campus less than five miles away, as well as Honeywell's campus at I-49 and Missouri Highway 150. 

“There’s a strong need for quality housing in south Kansas City, Missouri,” Ellis said. “With quality employers including Cerner and Honeywell and the proposed redevelopment of the former Bannister Federal Complex, there will be a large influx of young professionals.”

No incentives were requested for the project, which was unanimously approved by the Kansas City Council and the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals. It also has received strong support from the South Kansas City Neighborhood Alliance and the Hickman Mills School District.

The community will offer two- and three-bedroom units for lease starting at about $1,500 per month. Amenities planned for the project include a clubhouse, pool, playground and large amounts of green place. 

Park Place Partners, Hunt Midwest take innovative swing at luxury rental market

Park Place Partners and Hunt Midwest Residential Development have formed a joint venture to co-develop the metro area's first luxury rental villa community located on a golf course. Construction began in mid-2017, with the first homes available for occupancy by February 2018. 

Built by Lambie Custom Homes, The Fairways at City Center will include 80 twin villas with premium views of Canyon Farms Golf Course, all within walking distance to Lenexa City Center. 

Melanie Mann, who co-developed Leawood's successful Park Place mixed use project along with partner Jeff Alpert, said The Fairways at City Center responds to a growing renter-by-choice segment and caters to renters of all ages who don't want to sacrifice having a yard, basement, or garage space.

"Through our experience in other rental communities, we have found strong demand for larger, high-quality rental residences," Mann said. "People are selling their larger family homes and are looking for more flexibility. These villas help bridge the gap between single-family home ownership and the increasingly popular luxury apartment rental option."

The partnership brings together the creative, mixed-use expertise of Mann and Alpert with the wide and deep experience of Hunt Midwest Residential Development, which has more than 3,000 acres of land currently under development within the Kansas City metropolitan area including award-winning communities in Kansas City's Northland, Lee's Summit and Raymore, Missouri.

"Melanie and Jeff are known innovators in the local development community, and this has been a great partnership," said Ora Reynolds, president and CEO of Hunt Midwest. "Hunt Midwest is actively pursuing new residential concepts, including multifamily, senior housing and now, villa-style rental homes."

• Features of The Fairways at City Center include:
• -Approximately 2,200 square feet of finished space
• -3 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath units, which includes a flex room for office or guest use
• -2-Car garage
• -Rents starting at $2,800 per month
• -80 percent of homes include a golf course view
• -High-end finishes include granite countertops, stainless steel kitchen appliances, hardwood floors.
• -Maintenance provided

For more information, visit www.fairwayvillascitycenter.com; or call 913.283.9958.

Luxury rental villas are under construction for The Fairway at City Center with occupancy expected in 2018.

Wanted in Edgerton: Restaurant and residential development

With almost 11 million square feet of industrial space under construction and 3,400 new jobs created in three years, the City of Edgerton is scrambling to attract retail, restaurant and residential development activity.

“Our projects went extremely fast. The amount of traffic and number of employees we are seeing here and the desire to have amenities and housing options nearby just continues to increase,” said Edgerton Mayor Don Roberts.

NorthPoint Development’s Logistics Park Kansas City in Edgerton is among the most successful industrial park buildouts in the nation in recent memory, both in terms of total square footage and speed to market. But attracting and building ancillary development to support the burgeoning workforce has a longer runway, and that’s one reason the city launched its own economic development partnership, ElevateEdgerton!, earlier this year.

“There is a lot of development happening in the KC area right now, and we are trying to compete with other more established areas and trying to get people to come to Edgerton,” said Edgerton City Administrator Beth Linn. “Once people are at (LPKC), it sells itself, but getting them here can be a challenge because we are kind of an unknown in the market.”

The basic message ElevateEdgerton! wants to send is that the market is ripe and ready for additional investment beyond industrial warehouse and distribution projects. The influx of thousands of new Amazon and UPS workers requiring places to eat and spend money before, during and after their workdays has changed the conversation.

“We have the numbers, and we have to bring these other sectors,” Roberts said. “Two years ago, things were different, but a fast service restaurant will make it in Edgerton today.”

Russell Pearson with NAI Heartland is on the team marketing the Midwest Gateway speculative industrial project in Edgerton and agrees that the time is right for more development: "The industrial growth in Edgerton has been dramatic in the past few years, and this creates a real opportunity for developers to deliver commercial and residential product to support the employee base in that area.”

In addition to restaurant and residential housing, the city is working to attract a large, full-service truck stop to accommodate commercial vehicles and possibly provide additional quick service dining. Roberts believes that a dramatic rise in traffic counts over the past three years will help make the case.

“Homestead Lane wasn't even open 3 ½ years ago. To go from 0 to 10,000 vehicles a day is unheard of,” Roberts said.

Interested developers should contact Steve Hale at ElevateEdgerton! to identify top sites.