Friday, Dec. 21 2012 5:15PM
LS, developer agree on sports complex study
By Russ Pulley
rpulley@lsjournal.com
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closeLee’s Summit recently approved an agreement with a developer to jointly pay for studies on whether there’s a market for a sports complex at Interstate 470 and View High Drive.
The City Council on Dec. 20 unanimously approved an agreement with Happy Valley Properties where the city and developer would share 50/50 in a market study and feasibility study for the proposed sports complex and economic impact study of the project.
The city and developer will cooperate in choosing the consultant; the cost of the study hasn’t been set.
The city owns about 77 acres at the location which the developer wants to incorporate into a larger mixed development. It envisions offices meeting spaces, a church, retail and on the city property a hotel and regional sports complex, possibly for soccer.
In addition Happy Valley Property would contribute $15,000 to fund to pay for an independent analysis of the project and legal services, with additional money to be added to the fund by the developer as it is drawn down.
Other projects that have been previously discussed and got final unanimous approval by the council:
Hearthview Apartments at New Longview, a “luxury” project near Longview Community College.
Zoning for the “Unity Annexation” which gives that 350 acres at Missouri 350 and Colbern Road the city’s most broad zoning classification
The council also voted 7-1 to approve creating an advisory board for setting up Enhanced Enterprise Zone in Lee’s Summit. Councilmember Bob Johnson voted no.
He objected that the proposed zone doesn’t seem to meet the requirements of state statute for unemployment and poverty levels.
Consultant Chris Sally said the possible zone was based on information being used by the Missouri Department of Economic Development, which was working with numbers from the 2000 census but would later in 2013 be switching to update information from the 2010 census. Sally said that was the reason for haste by Lee’s Summit, to get approval under more favorable numbers. As the project goes forward the city will have revised information and boundary of the zone might change.
