Changes to two development projects received unanimous preliminary approval at Monday night’s Unified Government Economic Development and Finance Committee meeting.
The Foodie Park, a mixed-use development including food warehouse, office and retail facilities at the former Indian Springs Shopping Center at 47th and State Avenue, received a preliminary extension that will allow the developer three more months. A distribution, food service center, office and commercial space are planned for the 49.2-acre former Indian Springs Shopping Center site. The retail or public portion of the project is an area along State Avenue where there could be three to five restaurant and retail pad sites.
Scavuzzo’s Food Service Co. is the developer for the project, and Richard Scavuzzo, CEO of Scavuzzo’s, said that the closing date for the first phase area is requested to be postponed from Dec. 31 to March 31. The plat for the project already has been approved by the UG, said Katherine Carttar, UG economic development director.
A general contractor and automation firm have been added, and a kickoff meeting for the project was held about five weeks ago, Scavuzzo said.
“They are going as fast as humanly possible,” he said.
A brokerage firm and owner’s representative have been hired, he added. They have done a lot of work on the second through fourth phases toward finding additional tenants, with a possible additional office building in the fourth phase, he said.
The need for the extension coincides with the delay during UG consideration of the development agreement, he added, and they’re asking for that time to be extended.
The project plans to bring more jobs to Wyandotte County, Scavuzzo said. There are about nine students from Wyandotte High School in an after-school program now with Scavuzzo’s, he said.
“We want to engage even more with the Wyandotte community,” he said.
The company will do its own training and fully intends to hire from the community, he added. Scavuzzo’s also is making an effort to work with the transit system so employees will have the opportunity to ride the bus to work.
Also at the Monday night meeting, the Hilton Garden Inn interior renovation received preliminary unanimous approval for more funding.
About a year ago, the project received about $4 million in industrial revenue bonds, but that was not enough for the project.
Additional work was added to the project, and project costs increased to $5.5 million, an increase in $1.5 million, according to Carttar.
Carttar said the IRBs will have a sales tax exemption, not a property tax exemption. Also, the UG will not be responsible for the payment of the bonds, she said.
The IRBs were issued for sales tax exemption for construction materials and furniture, fixtures and equipment for renovations, according to UG information.
Hilton Garden Inn officials said the renovations got bigger, and now it’s a complete renovation, with walls being taken out, and rooms and bathrooms completely redone. Walls that had mold were completely removed, according to officials. There are 147 rooms being completely redone. Both the scope of the project and the price of materials increased, according to officials.
The bond approval now is expected to go to the full UG Commission on Dec. 12.
The committee also unanimously approved a resolution offering for sale municipal temporary notes and general obligation bonds and requesting the Public Building Commission to issue leasehold revenue bonds. Two pages of projects to be funded are listed in the committee agenda.
The most expensive projects on the list were $30 million for the Wolcott expansion – Conner Creek facility; $10.2 million for the Kansas Levee Betterment project; $10 million for the Kaw River Bank Stabilization at Turkey Creek; $9.3 million for Kaw Point Biosolids Digestion; $9 million for the Leavenworth road project from 78th to 63rd streets; $4.45 million for courthouse improvements; and $4 million for the Hutton Road fire station.
According to UG officials, some projects are currently in discussions, and are not considered ready to move forward yet. One is the biosolids project that is progressing and in negotiations with Kansas City, Missouri, officials said, although they don’t expect it to be ready to go during 2020.
Several other items were discussed at Monday night’s meeting, which is online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0iHTpE0j6E.