Tag: Unified Government committee

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)

Foodie Park receives extension

Scavuzzo’s Foodie Park at 47th and State Avenue received approval from the Unified Government Economic Development and Finance Committee Monday night for an extension on its deadline to start construction.

The project would be a food service center, including an automated food warehouse, at the former Indian Springs shopping mall site. There also were plans for a few restaurants, stores, office buildings and a hotel on the property.

Richard Scavuzzo asked for the starting time of construction on the project to be moved from August of this year to April of 2021.

He said they have put together a team including a contractor, automation partner, finance team, owners’ representative and solar team for the various parts of the project.

“We’ve spent a lot of time putting together the right team to get this across the finish line,” Scavuzzo said. The project is a first for this type of automated project in the marketplace, he said.

Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, some of the plans that were already lined up ran into problems. The original finance partner was based in the entertainment industry and pulled out of the project after reductions in revenue from COVID-19, he said. The project now has new finance sources, he added, and they are currently completing plans.

The restaurant plans on State Avenue are being changed a little, according to Scavuzzo. They now are looking at a shared courtyard approach for them, with curbside and delivery options.

The hotel idea has fallen through, with hotels not being built throughout the country right now, he said, and the office building project is undergoing changes.

Scavuzzo said the team has put together some really good plans to deal with the changing environment. He said they are really excited about the new plans.

The extension to April 30, instead of the end of this year, has to do with a finance partner’s recommendation, as there is a $30 million down payment required on the automated machinery going into the facility, he said. The partner wants to wait until the development agreement is solidified, he said.

The committee unanimously approved the extension to April, and the item will go to the full Commission later.