Looking
to the Future
John Knox Village is pleased to announce
that it has been working with the City of Lee’s Summit on a Memorandum of
Understanding that will enable the City to build a new state-of-the-art fire
station on the undeveloped land owned by the Village on the west side of Pryor
Road.
The agreement is contingent on the passage
of a no-tax increase general obligation bond initiative, which Lee’s Summit
voters will consider as part of the Nov. 8 election. If it passes, the bond
initiative will fund four public safety projects, which includes replacing the
current Fire Station No. 3 located at 3rd Street and Pryor Road with
a new station designed to meet both current and future needs and demands for
services. The proposed Memorandum of Understanding outlines the various terms
and obligations of the City and John Knox Village in the event the bond
initiative passes. In exchange for the 2.28-acre plot, city staff will submit a
rezoning request that would allow future commercial development along the Pryor
Road corridor if approved by the Lee’s Summit City Council. In addition to the
zoning consideration, the City would construct a public road and install sewer
and water lines to the new fire station. The road, water and sewer lines would
be beneficial to John Knox Village when it is decided to develop the remainder
of the property. The professional costs, such as the use of engineers and
consultants to prepare the property for the City and John Knox Village’s future
use, would be covered by the City. The agreement is contingent on the passage
of the bond initiative. If it passes, platting of the site is expected to begin
in spring 2017 with the construction of infrastructure anticipated to begin
that same year. Building construction is expected to begin in 2018.
The agreement between the City of Lee’s
Summit and the Village creates a win-win scenario for every member of the Lee’s
Summit community, such as maintaining response times for emergencies and making
improvements to Pryor Road. In addition, it will help the Village begin
developing its unused land on the far west side of the campus. Because the
proposed fire station will not be located directly off Pryor Road, the Village
will be able to use the valuable frontage property for a commercial development
in the future.
“Lee’s Summit benefits because the
proposed location is centrally located within the station’s service area with
easy access to major roads and highways,” said Dan Rexroth, CEO and president
of John Knox Village. “What’s more, through the agreement, the city will help
us realize our long-term goals outlined in our strategic plan sooner rather
than later.”
