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West area sees much commercial building activity

Developing western Wyandotte County…

by Murrel Bland

There is considerable development activity in western Wyandotte County these days. Here is a quick summary:

Turner community. The largest building in the Turner community is the new warehouse that Amazon will start to use this fall. The change in retail habits has fostered this warehouse which will have more than 800,000 square feet of floor space.

Amazon boasts an extensive selection of items that can be delivered in two days or less. There is a national trend for shoppers to find retail items on the Amazon Internet website and then order.

Key to the success of this area has and will be Northpoint Development. That company is acquiring nearby real estate parcels along the Turner Diagonal through a corporation entitled Turner Land LLC. Northpoint sold the Amazon site to the present owners, a limited liability corporation with ties to USAA Insurance, San Antonio, Texas. The Amazon site is on a parcel of about 125 acres. Plans call for developing an area along the Diagonal from State Avenue to K-32. This would be about 800 acres.

Business West has written two letters to the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, encouraging the necessary funding along the Diagonal that would enhance the added truck traffic.

Village West. There continues to be more and more activity on property owned by Schlitterbahn. Ground-breaking is planned at 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 29, for the Frontier Justice. Owners Michael and Bren Brown have a similar location in Lee’s Summit.

Bren Brown recently explained that Frontier Justice caters to the “mid-market” — that between individually owned gun stores and Cabela’s. Frontier Justice sells firearms and archery products and also provides an indoor shooting range. Fireams training is also provided. The company also features a clothing boutique.

“Frontier Justice will promote personal freedoms in an inviting atmosphere that promotes responsibility and family,” according to the company’s Website.

A letter of intent has been signed by Grinders restaurant that proposes to develop its fourth location in buildings that once housed the Kansas Department of Transportation offices near 98th Street and State Avenue. Other Grinders locations are in the Crossroads District, Kansas City, Mo., Lenexa and Leavenworth. The restaurant chain owner is Jeffrey (Stretch) Rumaner.

Construction is moving ahead on a carwash that Schlitterbahn will operate. A fast-food restaurant will operate inside the carwash. Steve Sessions of Basehor will be the manager of the restaurant.

The Dairy Farmers of American headquarters office building is scheduled to open this spring.

A Star Fuel convenience store will be built on the southwest corner of 98th Street and Parallel Parkway. A Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers will be built on the southeast corner of 98th Street and Parallel Parkway. The Freddy’s restaurant chain has more than 130 sites in 17 states including locations in Kansas, City, Mo., Lansing, Lawrence, Lenexa, Overland Park and Olathe. Bill and Randy Redler founded the Freddy’s chain. It was named after their father, Freddy Simon, who was a World War II veteran from close to Colwich, Kan., a small town near Wichita.

The Unified Government is looking for developers who would submit proposals for a convention center in the Village West Area. It would need from 30,000 to 50,000 square feet of exhibit floor space and a hotel with at least 225 rooms. Mayor Mark Holland said that the Unified Government is looking for a convention center that would attract visitors all year long.

Hollywood Casino had planned to build a convention center and hotel next to its location at the Kansas Speedway. However, Hollywood officials have declined to build it although that was part of its initial development agreement. Instead, Hollywood has opted to pay an annual penalty of about $1.4 million. Hollywood officials have said they are concerned about a bill in the Kansas Legislature that might reopen The Woodlands. Hollywood officials pointed out it paid a $25 million “privilege fee” along with a $250 million investment in the casino itself.

The National Training and Coaching Development Center has plans to open later this year. The $80 million project will house the offices of Sporting Kansas City, presently in the Crossroads District of Kansas City, Mo. It is east of 98th Street and south of Parallel Parkway.

Edwardsville. The city of Edwardsville is moving ahead with plans for its redevelopment district, east of 110th Street and south of I-70. Plans call for a mixed-use retail area which may include restaurants, a convenience store, hotels and a conference center. A tax increment financing district has been established for the area. Ground was broken Wednesday, March 22, for the $60 million Village South project. Those attending included investors, developers and public officials.

Bonner Springs. Public notices have been published in The Wyandotte Echo that call for the development of an area south of State Avenue and west of 118th Street. It also calls for tax increment financing. The area would include 69 triplexes, 112 duplexes and a 150-unit apartment complex. There would also be nearby retail including restaurants and a hotel.

Murrel Bland, the executive director of Business West, is the former editor of the Wyandotte West.

Elementary school lunch menus

Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools
Monday, March 20
Mandarin orange chicken, fried rice, celery sticks, baby carrots, tropical fruit, fruit salad and milk. Alternate entrees: Uncrustable sandwich, fruit salad, yogurt muffin basket.
Tuesday, March 21
Nacho bites, tomato salsa, refried beans, mandarin oranges, fruit salad and milk. Alternate entrees: Southwestern chef salad, hummus plate, yogurt parfait.
Wednesday, March 22
Corn dog, tater tots, grape tomatoes, orange wedges, fruit salad and milk. Alternate entrees: Garden chef salad, fruit salad, yogurt muffin basket.
Thursday, March 23
Mozzarella sticks, marinara sauce, salad, banana, fruit salad and milk. Alternate entrees: Southwestern chef salad, hummus plate, yogurt parfait.
Friday, March 24
French toast sticks, sausage patties, ranch corn, cauliflower, apple slices, fruit salad and milk. Alternate entrees: Garden chef salad, fruit salad, yogurt muffin basket.

Turner Public Schools
Monday, March 20
No school. Professional development.
Tuesday, March 21
Chicken nuggets with Italian bread; cheeseburger, garden salad, corn, mandarin oranges, fruit; vegetarian chef salad, corn, mandarin oranges, fruit and Italian bread.
Wednesday, March 22
Chicken patty; fish patty, mashed potatoes with gravy, glazed carrots, peaches, fruit, roll; strawberry chicken salad, glazed carrots, peaches, fruit and roll.
Thursday, March 23
Hot dog; chicken and waffles, tater tots, garden salad, banana orange mix, fruit; Cobb salad, banana orange mix, fruit, fruit streusel muffin.
Friday, March 24
Cheese pizza; corn dog, garden salad, broccoli with dip, pineapple, fruit; popcorn chicken salad, broccoli with dip, pineapple, fruit, fruit streusel muffin.

Piper Public Schools
Monday, March 20 – Friday, March 24
Spring break. No school.

Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Public Schools
Monday, March 20
Spring break. No school.
Tuesday, March 21
Chicken nachos with white queso; cheeseburger, garden salad, pintos, mandarin oranges, fruit; taco salad, pintos, mandarin oranges, fruit and cornbread.
Wednesday, March 22
Chicken patty; roast turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, glazed carrots, peaches, fruit, roll; strawberry chicken salad, glazed carrots, peaches, fruit and roll.
Thursday, March 23
Barbecue rib on bun; stuffed taco, tater tots, garden salad, banana orange mix, fruit; Cobb salad, banana orange mix, fruit, fruit streusel muffin.
Friday, March 24
Cheese pizza; corn dog; fish sandwich, garden salad, broccoli with dip, pineapple, fruit; popcorn chicken salad, broccoli with dip, pineapple, fruit, fruit streusel muffin.

All menus from all districts subject to change.

Mayoral candidate Jordan speaks out about taxes

by Mary Rupert

Lower property taxes for residents was one of the issues mentioned by mayoral challenger Keith Jordan.

Jordan, 42, who has filed for Kansas City, Kansas-Wyandotte County mayor and CEO, is new to the political arena, not having sought political office previously. He faces incumbent Mayor Mark Holland and challenger David Alvey.

Jordan is well-known to the radio audience of KQRC-FM, 98.9, The Rock, where he is on the morning Johnny Dare show under the name, “T-Bone.” Jordan says he has mentioned his candidacy on the radio show, and he added that other candidates have the opportunity to come onto the radio and talk about their campaigns.

Jordan, who lives in the Turner School District, said he is interested in working for a better quality of life for residents. He thinks businesses such as those in Village West should be paying more to the local government for the services they receive, and he added that some of the businesses have not fulfilled their agreements with the UG.

“It seems like we’re concentrating all our money in the Village West area,” Jordan said. “You could go anywhere in downtown KCK and find improvements that need to be made. We’re giving a lot of these companies breaks on things.”

He mentioned sinkholes in the Turner area, where a street is closed off, as improvements that need to be made, and he said there are probably many places in the city where road improvements are needed. He said he also supports efforts to revitalize deteriorating areas of Kansas City, Kansas.

Although the STAR (sales tax revenue) bonds at Village West were paid off early, Jordan said he really hasn’t noticed any of the tax breaks residents were promised years ago.

“Why are we so in debt if we have our STAR bonds being paid off and paid off early?” Jordan asked.

“I’ve seen years of KCK going downhill a little, coming back up in some spots, and going back downhill again,” he said. “The people in charge are ignoring some of the areas that need to be worked on. As a citizen, I feel they look at KCK as The Legends and Village West, and that’s where it ends. We see improvements there, and at KU Med Center, but in between there is nothing – a huge area of the city that is not being taken care of, their voice is not being heard.”

Jordan said he would like to see if there is a way to get some of the big businesses such as those at Village West to pay more to the UG. He would like to re-examine the UG contracts and agreements with these businesses. The mayor should be representing the people who live in the city, he said.

He added he does not support cuts in basic services in order to reduce property taxes.

Although there may be some administrative items that might be cut, he said he supports funding for services such as fire and police. There has been talk of consolidating fire stations here, and the national response time is about four minutes.

“KCK has a two-minute response time. Why would we want to lay off some of our firefighters and consolidate the boundaries if we already have a two-minute response time?” Jordan asked. He is a certified EMT who served as a volunteer firefighter in Edwardsville for about nine years.

“If we start cutting down our responders, we’re just hurting ourselves,” Jordan said. “One thing I learned, in emergency situations, time is of the essence. If the national average is four minutes and we’re at two, why drop it to four and put citizens at danger? To me that makes no sense.”

Jordan doubted that a new juvenile detention center would be a good use of the taxpayers’ money. Instead of a new building, he said he would rather see programs to work with youth and turn them around, instead of locking them up in a detention center.

“With a detention center, we give up too easily on kids,” he said. “Most of them that go into the detention center at an early age, it kills them, they think this is what it will be for the rest of their life, and they end up repeating the pattern,” he said.

Jordan said one difference between him and the other candidates would be that he is running his campaign on a very small budget. He plans to meet with people face-to-face and talk to voters. He also plans to use social media such as Facebook to get his message out.

Jordan is a graduate of Turner High School and has an associate degree in liberal arts from Kansas City Kansas Community College. He has spent almost his entire life as a resident of the Turner district.

He has been very involved with youth sports, where he coached soccer in the Midwest Regional League. He also has helped with sports at the Turner Recreation Center.

He has volunteered with Harvesters and the Kids Café program, helping to feed kids in the summer. Jordan also is active in the Masons and Abdallah Shriners.

Jordan filed for office under “D. Keith Jordan,” and said he usually doesn’t use his first name, Dennis.

The primary election is in August this year, and the general election will be in November. The filing deadline is noon June 1.