Developer completes Longview Farms stabilization effort

The stabilization of four historic buildings at Lee’s Summit’s Longview Farm has been completed, setting the stage for full restoration of several structures central to the former show farm’s future redevelopment.

“These buildings serve as a historic cornerstone for Lee’s Summit’s New Longview development area and its $80 million in ongoing housing and commercial projects,” said Mark Moberly, Director of Development with Sunflower Development Group.

The stabilization project included structural repairs and weatherization related work to prevent further deterioration of two red-roofed barns, a farm house, a dairy manger house, and the show farm’s signature arch on the north end of the property.

The City of Lee’s Summit, along with Mariner Real Estate Management, now called Platform Ventures, and Sunflower Development Group, used tax-increment financing to cover costs of the stabilization effort. Full restoration projects will be completed with assistance from TIF district revenues to fund the additional improvements.

The City of Lee’s Summit worked with developers to inspect, plan and design the stabilization work, which will help ensure responsible redevelopment of both Longview Farms and the New Longview area, according to Lee’s Summit Mayor Randy Rhoads “Because historic redevelopment can be complicated and costly, the City was mindful of not over-investing in these structures. The goal was to stabilize, weatherize and shore up the buildings in anticipation of future investment,” said Mayor Rhoads.

In December, Sunflower Development Group announced it would complete $3 million in renovations to the 101-year-old Longview Mansion, 1200 SW Longview Park Dr., by late 2018.
Sunflower Development Group is known for historic restorations of several downtown Kansas City properties, including conversions to hotel, housing and other commercial uses.

Sunflower will secure private financing for the restorations, but public financial support is still needed to cover the extraordinary costs associated with stabilizing and rehabilitating the unique structures, according to Moberly.

“Working with the City of Lee’s Summit, State of Missouri and National Parks Service to secure the TIF and historic tax credits is extremely important due to the financial gap that exists with rehabilitating each property,” Moberly said.

While work on the Mansion began in February, the timeline for full rehabilitation of the remaining structures is uncertain due to the need for significant new construction commercial projects in the TIF, like a new theater, to happen first.

Sunflower Development Group maintains ownership of buildings it restores and leases them to tenants.

**Picture provided by Sunflower Development Group

Insight: How business leaders drove Lee's Summit's $16 million interchange investment

Reconstruction of the 40-year-old bridge and interchange at Route 291 South and U.S. 50 in Lee's Summit has been a long-standing priority for the business community. 

Its bottlenecks and congestion actually led Chip Moxley, owner of Tingle Flooring, to choose a location farther north for his headquarters. Going through the site selection process enlightened Moxley that prosperity for south Lee's Summit would be held hostage until the intersection was improved. As a result, Moxley joined forces with the Gateway Business Alliance to lobby for public awareness and investment in transportation projects.

"This interchange is among the most important initiatives we have undertaken, and it is hugely gratifying to finally break ground on this project," Moxley said at the recent groundbreaking for the $16 million, taxpayer-funded diverging diamond project, which includes reconstruction of the Route 291 overpass bridge and an adjacent roundabout.

The interchange won't be completed until late 2018, but Lee's Summit Economic Development Council President and CEO Rick McDowell said its benefits from a business recruiting standpoint are immediate.

"This project opens up hundreds of acres for commercial development," McDowell said. "With The Grove mixed-use development to the southeast slated to begin spec industrial construction this year, and Pinetree Plaza shopping center on the northwest quadrant targeted for redevelopment, this new interchange truly will serve as a new gateway to the south side of Lee's Summit."

The interchange also will help ease congestion through a heavily traveled residential and commercial route while enhancing safety and improving access for pedestrians and cyclists, according to Lee's Summit Mayor Randall Rhoads. 

Radmacher Brothers Construction based in Pleasant Hill, Mo., is providing general construction services for the project, and GBA Architects and Engineers of Lenexa, Kan. provided engineering and design services. Additional project partners include the Lee's Summit Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street, and Friends of Lee's Summit.

The interchange is funded through a three-part cost sharing agreement, with the City of Lee's Summit paying $8 million; the US Department of Transportation paying $6.8 million through funds secured through the Mid-America Regional Council; and the Missouri Department of Transportation paying the remaining $1.22 million.

MWM Panel: Eastern Jackson County poised for peak altitude

MetroWireMedia's 2017 events series took flight Tuesday at Lee's Summit Municipal Airport, as the region’s leading developers, brokers and attorneys offered a birds’ eye view of the Eastern Jackson County commercial real estate market.

Surrounded by business aircraft and aviation mechanical equipment, panelists tackled everything from incentives to infrastructure to industrial spec development while updating myriad mixed-use and multifamily projects already aloft in the metro's eastern suburbs. 

Cerner’s new South Kansas City headquarters already is driving demand for new, amenity-rich single-family and multifamily housing options in Lee’s Summit and along the I-70 corridor, creating ongoing opportunity for retailers and restaurant operators.

“Families are happy and want to be in Lee’s Summit. And if you have a community where people want to live, retailers will follow,” Block & Co., Inc. Director Bill Maas said.

The consumer shift to online shopping is forcing many retailers to re-evaluate and scale back their brick-and-mortar footprints, but it also creates an opportunity for well-situated retail centers, according to Eric Mann, director of development for RED Brokerage.

“It’s location, location, location,” Mann said. “What goes into that is demographics, visibility, access and workforce. I-70 continues to be a great access point for Lee’s Summit, drawing people from areas like Odessa, Concordia and even further away.”

All signs point to continued growth; Lee’s Summit’s population is expected to reach 100,000 by 2020 and new single-family building permits are approaching pre-recession levels. Anecdotally, NorthPoint Development’s The Residences at New Longview apartments saw the fastest lease-up of any community to date when it opened in 2016, according to NorthPoint VP of Development Mark Pomerenke.

With $1 billion in public and private investment in Lee's Summit in 2015-2016, the flight path is clear, but panelists cautioned that rising construction costs and availability of incentives could create headwinds.  

“There are a lot of opportunities in Jackson County, but many properties don’t have infrastructure in place,” said Christine Bushyhead, an attorney whose law firm Bushyhead LLC specializes in incentives and public finance. “The fact is we need infrastructure.”

Rick McDowell, Lee’s Summit EDC president and CEO, agreed on the need for more shovel-ready sites but said development of a 200,000 square foot speculative industrial building at The Grove, an 83-acre mixed-use project on south Missouri 291, should encourage future activity.

“The key to landing advanced manufacturing and warehouse and distribution tenants is having product ready and available,” McDowell said. “We see tremendous opportunity for industrial growth near The Grove and in the area near Lee’s Summit Municipal Airport on the north side of town.”

Panelists said Lee’s Summit has potential to attract Class A office users, thanks to its strong workforce and workforce development programs supported by the Missouri Innovation Campus and Summit Technology Center.

“The biggest challenge is lack of product, but Lee’s Summit has come a long way in getting ahead and having development-ready sites,” said Michael Van Buskirk, Newmark Grubb Zimmer executive managing director.

Developers of the Paragon Star soccer village and entertainment complex at I-470 and View High Drive are hoping to lure Class A office users. The first phase of the $200 million destination entertainment complex is master planned for Class A office space, as well as hotel and retail space, according to Paragon Star Principal Bill Brown.

“Paragon Star’s location is a gateway to Lee’s Summit and Eastern Jackson County, so office users and brokers should begin looking at Lee’s Summit in a different way,” Brown said.

Ron Baker, Saint Luke’s East Hospital CEO, also served on the panel. Lee’s Summit Mayor Randy Rhoads was emcee, and John Lovell III, Cobbs Allen risk consultant, moderated the discussion.

John Ohrazda, Lee’s Summit Municipal Airport Director, teed up the discussion by updating the airport’s 5,500 foot-long runway extension project, which will allow larger jets to takeoff and land and is expected to boost corporate airport traffic by up to 30 percent. The new runway is expected to open in August.