Friday, October 28, 2016

Looking to the Future



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.”

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