Month: March 2017

UG to consider $25 million bond issue for Indian Springs development at tonight’s meeting

The old Indian Springs mall at 47th and State Avenue in Kansas City, Kan., was demolished in 2016. (File photo)

A “flex tech” development at the former Indian Springs shopping center is on the agenda for the Unified Government Economic Development and Finance Committee at 5:30 p.m. tonight at City Hall.

An industrial revenue bond issue of $25 million is proposed for the development.

A 26.59-acre business park is proposed at the site, with about 350,000 square feet of “flex-tech” office and light industrial space, according to the UG agenda.

Lane 4 Property Group was in charge of redeveloping the former mall at 47th and State Avenue, which has been razed. The mall site is owned by the UG. A new entity, Axis Point Developers LLC, has been formed by principals of Lane4 and other partners for this project, according to the UG agenda.

Under the proposal, the UG would give the title of the property to the developer for $750,000. The UG would give a 75 percent tax abatement for 10 years for all “flex-tech” buildings through this target area, according to the agenda, which meet investment size and minority participation.

The first building would have more than 160,000 leasable square feet, according to the UG agenda and would be completed within two years of closing. If it didn’t meet the deadline, the net percentage tax abatement on the building would be reduced from 75 percent to 50 percent, according to agenda details.

The developer would agree to construct a minimum of 100,000 additional square feet in order to qualify for additional abatements in the second phase, agenda details stated.

According to UG agenda documents, the project is expected to create 150 temporary construction jobs and 350 full-time equivalent jobs.

During a 10-year period, the revenue received from the new development in lieu of taxes are estimated to be about $1.1 million.

In addition, the project is expected to generate about $1 million in sales taxes over 10 years in the “flex-tech” area, and utility revenue generated is estimated at $205,000.

With these proposed actions, the UG would terminate the Midtown Redevelopment District, issue $25 million in revenue bonds for Axis Point Investors and approve a development purchase agreement.

Earlier, the UG discussed the changes to Indian Springs in a meeting on Jan. 31. During the January meeting, UG officials stated the UG probably had spent $20 million over the years on Indian Springs, including a demolition cost of $2.5 million and a purchase price of $7.5 million, along with expenses for moving tenants. For information on the Jan. 31 meeting, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/ug-changes-direction-on-indian-springs-development/.

The meeting is scheduled to be held on the fifth floor of City Hall, 701 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas, after the Neighborhood and Community Development Committee meeting.

National anthem auditions to be Saturday for T-Bones

Want to audition for the national anthem at the T-Bones game?

The T-Bones are holding national anthem and “God Bless America” music tryouts from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kansas.

Registration begins at 12:30 p.m. for all bands, choirs, groups, musicians and individual performers interested in auditioning. Performances must be 110 seconds or less in the traditional version of the songs and will be performed without any additional background music.

Before the audition, interested performers must complete a registration form, which can be found at TBonesBaseball.com, or one will be provided at the audition. Applicants are allowed to audition for both songs, but it must be specified on the form, according to a spokesman.

Performers will be given an audition number as they arrive and register at Gate A at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. The order of the auditions will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Performers must be aware that the auditions will be open to the public and no compensation will occur. Performers should wear respectable and appropriate attire, and be prepared for the weather, as the auditions will be taking place outdoors, according to the spokesman.

The T-Bones open the 2017 regular season at home on May 19 against Lincoln. They have 50 home games scheduled from May 19 to Sept. 4.

For questions about the auditions, contact Morgan Kolenda, the T-Bones’ director of marketing and game entertainment, at [email protected] or call 913-328-5641.

– Story from Matt Fulks, T-Bones

KCK man sentenced to 25 years in bank robbery case

Jacob L. Smith, 19, Kansas City, Kansas, was sentenced Monday to 25 years in federal prison for a bank robbery in which he shot at law enforcement officers during a high-speed chase, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Co-defendant Danille Morris, 27, Kansas City, Kansas, whose 19-month child was with her in the getaway car, was sentenced to 16.6 years.

Smith pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm. Morris pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm and one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction.

In his plea, Smith admitted that on March 9, 2016, he and co-defendant Gary Jordan, 40, Kansas City, Kansas, brandished handguns when they entered the First National Bank at 7460 W. 199th St. in Stilwell, Kan. They held tellers at gunpoint before fleeing with cash stuffed in a backpack. Jordan took the wheel of the getaway car.

During the next 25 minutes, the robbers were pursued by the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Leawood Police Department and other law enforcement agencies as they fled across the Kansas-Missouri state line.

During the chase, Smith fired at officers six times from the car. After the car overturned on a sharp turn, the defendants were arrested. Throughout the chase, Morris and her 19-month-old child were in the car.

Beall commended all the agencies that assisted in the investigation including the FBI, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Leawood Police Department, the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, as well as the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley.