UG Commission approves amended Village East project

The Unified Government Commission on Thursday night unanimously approved an amended Village East project.

The project area includes the former Schlitterbahn water park at 94th and State, and also includes an area east of 94th between State Avenue and Parallel Parkway.

According to UG Administrator Doug Bach, the current deal include the sale of UG land to the developer. STAR bond financing was previously approved at $130 million, and as part of the project, there will be the sharing of Menard’s revenue.

The developer has committed to make capital investments of $3.75 million in other parts of the community, he said. They have already spent $20 million in land acquisition and demolition at the site, he added.

The project now has added Perfect Game, a provider of amateur baseball events that holds tournaments, which will add a $30 million facility, he said.

The UG and the state have already approved the expanded STAR bond project district, he said.

Approved at Thursday night’s meeting was changing the development plan, he said.

Originally the Homefield project was to have been around the old Schlitterbahn waterpark area, and now it has been moved to east of 94th Street. The action on Thursday gives the developer the approval to move forward with their plans in the new area. It does not approve new bonds for the project, he added.

Robb Heineman, with the Homefield development, said they have had good discussions with potential auto dealers to be added to the area on Parallel Parkway east of I-435. The discussions are well down the road, he said. They hope to have them under contract by November, when they hope to do bond issuance.

There is a parcel along Parallel east of I-435 under contract with a fast-food operator that may close in the next 90 days, he said.

Another property in the Parallel area east of I-435 will be a 90-room Fairfield Inn, probably startng construction in the next 90 days, he said.

Camping World, south of Menard’s, has executed a 20-year lease-agreement, Heineman said. Camping World sells recreational vehicles, RV parts and outdoor gear. They are now in planning, and are working on design drawings, he said. The expectation would be to have Camping World open early in 2023, he said.

A 325-room water-themed water resort hotel will be built in an area where the former Scholitterbahn water park. The $75 million project is a first-class hotel, will generate a lot of room nights and will have 20,000 to 30,000 square feet of conference space.

“It probably in itself is a destination attraction,” Heineman said.

A luxury RV park is planned, with about 150 slips for RVs in the area, he added.

The Milhaus 280-unit apartment project is in planning, and he hopes they will close in July and start construction in 60 days.

With the price of lumber dropping recently, it will allow some of these projects to move forward, he said.

On three parcels on State Avenue, they are in active discussions with restaurants, Heineman said. They hope to have them designated by the next 60 to 90 days.

A national medical office provider is interested in a building along State Avenue near 94th, according to Heineman.

The primary Homefield building, a 225,000-square-foot building, now will be located east of 94th Street, he said. It will have many different sports and sports programs. It will include a multipurpose field.

Perfect Game, a leading tournament operator in the United States, changes the game in a big-time way, Heineman said. There will be tournaments in town during the season, to result in 75,000 room nights a year, he said.

“We’re getting new calls every day from retailers, from restaurants, from different attractions,” he said.

The site is exceeding what their expectations have been, he said.

Bach said the state will consider approval of the restated project plan by June 30.

UG Commissioners Christian Ramirez and Brian McKiernan said they would like the developer’s capital investment in the community to be east of I-635.

Heineman said they were looking at a number of projects throughout the community, including some in the east. They are looking at housing, retail, hospitality and different projects, he said. He said it was something they were committed to and very interested in.

McKiernan said in this project, the sales tax will go back to the project, but the full property tax will go to the city, county and taxing districts.

Commissioner Gayle Townsend wanted to make sure that Wyandotte County residents would have access to the Homefield project, its ballfields and amenities.

Heineman said they wanted to be as inclusive as possible, and Wyandotte County residents would have preferred access and preferred pricing.

Commissioner Melissa Bynum said a report on the project stated it could have revenues of as much as $445 million.

Bach said they are always hopeful that the developments produce at a higher level. He said the Village West projects did, and bonds were paid off early there.

There were no public comments at the public hearing.

For more information, a video of the meeting is online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d-O-by5mzY.