Category: Business

State tax collections up for January

State tax collections in January showed an increase of almost 10 percent, according to Kansas officials.

The state showed an increase of $795.8 million in total taxes collected in January, about 9.7 percent more than January of fiscal year 2020, according to a spokesman.

It was a 12.8 percent, or $90.2 million, increase from the estimate, officials stated.

“While these numbers look promising, my administration will continue to take a close look at all tax legislation that may come to my desk and keep an eye on the fluctuation of the national economy,” Gov. Laura Kelly said in a news release. “As I’ve said before, we must continue to promote fiscally-responsible practices that will ensure our state will not only recover from the COVID-19 pandemic but continue to grow.”

Corporate income tax collections were 29.9%, or $6.4 million, more than last fiscal year with $27.7 million collected for the month. That is an 84.9%, or $12.7 million, gain, according to officials.

Individual income tax collections were $457.9 million. That is $57.9 million, or 14.5%, more than the estimate and $49.2 million, or 12.0%, more than the previous January, according to a spokesman.

The individual income tax category is slightly higher for the end of the month due to the Internal Revenue Service’s delay in processing of tax returns to Feb. 12, 2021. Due to that delay, the state cannot begin to process returns and issue refund checks until that time, a spokesman stated.

Retail sales tax collections were $3.8 million, or 1.7%, more than the same month of last fiscal year with $224.6 million collected. That is $9.6 million, or 4.5%, more than the estimate.

Wyandotte County reported a drop of 1.7 percent in retail sales tax collections for January 2021 as compared to January 2020, according to figures from the Kansas Department of Revenue.

For the July to January fiscal year to date, Wyandotte County is about 2.8 percent behind the same period in 2020, according to KDOR figures. (See https://www.ksrevenue.org/prsalesreports.html#city)

Kansas City, Kansas, is showing similar figures, about a 1.3 percent drop in retail sales tax collections for January 2021 as compared to January 2020, according to the KDOR figures, and a 2.5 percent drop for the July to January fiscal year to date.

Compensating use tax collections for the entire state were $64.6 million for January; a $9.6 million increase from the estimate. Those collections are 22.9% or $12.0 million, more than last January.

To see more data about state revenue figures, visit https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/07_January_Revenue_FY2021_02-01-2021_Final.pdf.

New grocery store building, restaurant planned at 67th and Kaw Drive

A new grocery store building for the Kaw Fresh Market grocery at 67th and Kaw Drive is being planned. Also, the Jones Bar-B-Q will have new restaurant space with seating, as part of the plans. Preliminary plans shown at the Unified Government Economic Development and Finance Committee meeting on Monday night.

Plans are being made for a new grocery store and restaurant at 67th and Kaw Drive (K-32) in Kansas City, Kansas.

The Kaw Fresh Market plans to build a new grocery store at the location, according to Katherine Carttar, UG economic development director. Plans are for a TIF (tax-increment financing) district, she said.

The Unified Government Economic Development and Finance Committee on Monday night voted to schedule a public hearing date of 7 p.m. March 25 for the redevelopment district at 6700 Kaw Drive.

Kaw Fresh Market bought the former Happy Foods West grocery store at the 67th and Kaw Drive location in the Muncie area of Kansas City, Kansas, and is currently operating.

According to Carttar, the new Kaw Fresh Market store would be full-service with a bakery, meat counter and produce. There are three other Fresh Markets in the metropolitan area, including one on Metropolitan Avenue, she said. The El Mercado Fresco replaced the Save-a-Lot in the Argentine area.

Carttar said the redeveloped grocery store area at 67th and Kaw Drive would include space for a restaurant, the Jones Bar-B-Q.

A preliminary drawing presented at the meeting showed 25,000 square feet for the grocery store, next to 10,000 square feet of retail space, and also around 1,500 square feet for the Jones Bar-B-Q restaurant, with additional patio space.

Also part of the 67th and Kaw Drive current businesses is “A Lotta Stuff at Stan’s,” a thrift store next to the grocery store.

The redevelopment district also includes the former Heather Beez restaurant at 67th and Kaw Drive, along with a bar at the location. That restaurant is currently closed. The preliminary drawing shows “fast food” located at the former Heather Beez site with 2,500 square feet listed.

Jones Bar-B-Q, a locally owned restaurant that has outdoor seating, received national attention a few years ago when it was featured on the “Queer Eye” show. It is currently featuring Super Bowl takeout barbecue specials.

A 2019 file photo showed the Jones Bar-B-Q at 67th and Kaw Drive. (Wyandotte Daily file photo)

Former Woodlands redevelopment project sent back to Planning Commission for more work

The main entrance to the former Woodlands, now a warehouse site, is at 97th and Leavenworth Road. A second entrance on 99th Street, on the west side, was the subject of discussion at the Thursday night Unified Government Commission meeting.

A proposal to allow vehicles going to a warehouse area to use the 99th Street entrance to the former Woodlands racetrack at 9700 Leavenworth Road was sent back to the City Planning Commission on Thursday night by the Unified Government Commission.

Korb Maxwell, an attorney with Polsinelli, asked that the zoning issue be remanded to the City Planning Commission for more work. The UG Commission went ahead with a public hearing before sending the item back to the Planning Commission.

Although the Woodlands redevelopment project was approved last fall, it came back to the Planning Commission and UG Commission because Scannell Properties asked for six buildings instead of the original five buildings that were approved, according to Gunnar Hand, the UG’s planning director. The proposed amendment also asked for access from 99th Street to the warehouse area, which sparked community opposition.

The bulk of the Woodlands redevelopment project was the warehouses with industrial zoning on the site of the former racetrack. A companion project was the development of some retail shops along the western side of the property. According to UG planning information, the six warehouse and distribution buildings would total 3.39 million square feet, and the commercial retail buildings total 49,290 square feet.

While the main Woodlands entrance is at 97th and Leavenworth Road, a second entrance to the former racetrack is on 99th Street, north of Leavenworth Road.

Karen Lauber, a resident who lives across from the development on 99th Street, west of the former Woodlands, said at the public hearing Thursday night that she thought the proposed change was pretty big compared to what was approved in the fall. The last proposal, when it was approved, did not include access from 99th to the warehouse area, but this amended proposal includes 99th Street access for warehouse employees, and the operation could be 24-7, she said.

Commissioner Mike Kane, who represents the 5th District, said there were four buses that go to that area every day and pick up about 50 students.

“This is a serious safety issue for our kids,” Commissioner Kane said, adding the road was not designed to be used that way. It will be hard to make 99th safe for kids if there are thousands of employees going to that entrance, he said.

He added that it looks like what neighbors told him, a “bait and switch.”

Maxwell said they did not think the amended proposal was ripe at this time and they would like to go back to the Planning Commission, and work it further with the planning staff.

Commissioners Brian McKiernan and Melissa Bynum agreed with Commissioner Kane about the effects on the neighbors on 99th.

Commissioner McKiernan said he hopes to have a modified request that respects that the UG Commission previously promised to modify the spillover effects on the neighborhood to the best of its ability.

Commissioner Bynum agreed it was a “serious concern,” and the commission voted 9-0 to send the proposal back to the City Planning Commission for more work on the entrance and exit issue.