New construction in south KC: What you will see in 2023

By Kathy Feist

Despite the labor shortage and increased costs in supplies, buildings are going up in the southland. Here is our rundown, starting with the hometown. 

Martin City area

Forest Ridge Villas – The first or eight apartment buildings at Forest Ridge Villas in Martin City opened in December and was fully occupied within a month. On February 1st, developers Ray Jagoda and Jeff Ellis will opened their second building to tenants. Plans for Forest Ridge Villas began in 2017. Since then the labor shortage and increased construction costs have slowed down the process and forced the developers to get a TIF to finish the project (a move they tried to avoid).   Located on 10 acres at 133rd and Charlotte St., behind Margarita’s, the 194-unit ski lodge style apartment complex will overlook 300 acres of scenic Jackson County parkland.  Amenities include a clubhouse with an exercise room, theater room, pool and paved walking trail.  

Blue Ridge & Wornall – Plans for a 14-acre residential drug and alcohol addiction treatment center at Blue Ridge and Wornall Rd have been scrapped for now. According to Paul Melnuk, founder of Sana Lake Recovery Center in St. Louis, the contract was terminated, leaving the property in the care of its original owner Brook Chateau Land LLC. 

Martin City Retail Strip – A 25,000 square-foot retail shopping strip with 14 retail spaces at 131st and Holmes Rd. has been approved by the city for commercial zoning. No construction start date has been determined, according to owner Rick Ramsey. 

Sutherlands/Paintball – Both the Martin City Paintball and Sutherland’s properties at 135th and Holmes have been purchased by Edward Merriman with Americo Life. For now plans are to tear down the old Paintball facility, which is underway.  

G’s Garage  – Plans have been approved for  G’s Garage, a 24,000 square foot car museum and event venue located at the northeast corner of 134th and Charlotte. G’s should be completed late this year / early 2024, according to owner Gary Fish. 

Martin City K-8 School – A 180-foot crane has arrived at 201 E 133 St for erecting precast concrete wall panels for the new middle school gym. The gym will be able to fit the entire school inside of it, for all-school assemblies. It will also be used as an ICC 500 Tornado Shelter to safely protect students and staff during emergency weather events.  The current gym will be used as a new performing arts room for students. The project is still on track to be completed August 2023.  

South 49 Crossing – The industrial park located in the former Richards Gebaur Air Force Base has attracted a major new food processing center and attached cold storage facility expected to bring nearly 600 jobs to the area. The $199.6 million project by West Liberty Foods and Vertical Cold Storage will be located south of 150 Highway and west of I-49 near Botts Road at the 1,340-acre I-49 Logistics Center developed in partnership with Port KC. Both facilities will be located in a new 327,000 square foot building.

Red Bridge 

HCA Midwest Health KC ASC – HCA Midwest Health is building a 23,000 square foot outpatient surgery center and parking lot on 3.67 acres generally located at Woodland Avenue and Interstate 435 (south side)

Limeview Development – A residential plan by Limeview Development proposes 19 single family homes on 5.6 acres of wooded property at 12800 Holmes Rd. Although plans were defeated by the City Council 12 to 1 in December, Limeview has reapplied.  

115th & Holmes Rd – The plan for 34 townhomes at the southeast corner of 115th and Holmes Rd. is on hold as developer SLCR LLC seeks the purchase of one adjacent property.  SLCR has purchased 10 lots, including the senior care facility Waterford South, within half the block facing Holmes Road. Original plans depicted two-story townhomes grouped into six duplexes, six triplexes and one quadplex on 3.4 acres. Each unit would include three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a single-car garage and a short driveway. 

Mid-Continent Library building – The old Mid-Continent Library branch located at the Red Bridge Shopping Center has been purchased by Lane4 and is now available for tenants.

Along State Line Rd.

UMB Bank/Van Trust Office Bldg –  Construction on a new UMB Bank at the north east corner of State Line Rd and I-435 will be completed in June. Developer VanTrust Real Estate will not break ground on an adjoining newly constructed office building until an anchor tenant is identified.  

Three Hallbrook Plaza – Construction will be completed in March for Three Hallbrook Place on approximately 8.5 acres at the southwest corner of State Line Road and College Boulevard. The four-story building will contain about 120,000 square feet of office space with 475 surface parking spots when completed.  Developer VanTrust Real Estate has lined up KBP Foods to occupy the third and fourth floors. 

Barstow Schools – Barstow Schools, 115th and State Line Rd., is updating its baseball and soccer fields with new synthetic turf. Additionally, the private school will add a new athletics building, performing arts center, auditorium addition, kitchen and dining additions, a classroom wing for the middle and upper schools and install a second street on the south end of the property.   

Leawood

Regents Park – Land is already being cleared near 135th and Kenneth Rd. to make way for the Regents Park mixed use development. The high-end village-style community will include 60 townhomes, 81 maintenance provided villas, and 193 luxury apartments with retail and office space on the first floor. According to developer Rick Lashbrook, streets should be in by May and the Villas will begin construction in the Fall. 

East Village of Leawood – The 120-acre property that travels along the north side of 135th St between State Line to Pawnee Ln. will consist of 648 apartments, 84 townhomes, 26 twin villas, 35 single family homes, 40 condos, a 100-unit assisted living center and office and retail space. According to developer Rick Oddo, final plans are still awaiting approval from the City of Leawood.  

Leawood  Village – A mixed-use development on 12 acres at 8680 State Line Rd. will consist of 24 townhomes, 182 luxury apartments above office and retail space, two one-story office spaces and 520 parking stalls. Construction for the apartments will be completed this summer with office and retail portions projected to finish by fall, according to developer Doug Weltner, CEO of Weltner Equities. 

Waldo

Ward Parkway Center – The 64-year-old shopping center will be 100 percent occupied when Nick the Greek restaurant franchise opens in mid-February, Hibbet’s Sporting Goods opens in the Spring and Arizona-based Peter Piper Pizza opens this summer. 

1500 Meadow Lake Apts – EPC Real Estate Group have purchased 3.3 acres at 1500 Meadow Lake Parkway, northeast of State Line and 76th Street (formerly the Visiting Nurses Association building). Plans are for a four-story, 220-unit apartment complex, above a two-level parking garage with two courtyards with amenities and a pool. There will be 6,500 square feet of retail / office / restaurant space located on the ground level.  

Waldo 74 Broadway – In September plans were presented for Waldo 74 Broadway consisting of a five- to six-story complex with 289 units southeast of Broadway and 74th streets.  The $$90 million project includes a 377-space parking garage, with 49 public street spaces. 

Marlborough School – The Marlborough Community Land Trust plans to build 18 owner-occupied row homes for low-income families at the former Marlborough Elementary School site near 75th and Troost. A grand opening is planned for this spring. 

Bannister Corridor

The Glade/Urbane – Just west of the Cerner campus, across I-435, are the 263-unit Urbane apartments that are part of the future biotech community called The Glade. Located on 8 acres at 87th and Drury Ln, Urbane will have nine 3-story buildings with one-, two- and three-bedroom units apartments. Apartment buildings began opening in August 2022. All buildings are expected to open by April 2023.  

 Oakwood Country Club – Oakwood Country Club at 9800 Grandview Rd has undergone a $5 million upgrade thanks to its purchase in 2020 by Kenneth Block, managing principal of Block Real Estate Services. Renovations include a new sports bar, a new fitness center, a 12-hole putting course, a 2.5-acre short game practice area, a 3,500-square-foot putting cottage, a new golf range and a new golf performance center with six indoor hitting bays. 

The Villas at Oakwood – Located at 9700 Grandview Rd., 29 acres will be transformed into villas complete with a 9-hole per Par 3 golf course, 16 stucco villas, four cabins and other amenities. Construction on The Villas will begin this fall while the Par 3 golf course will begin this spring, according to developer Ken Block.  The property will connect with Oakwood Country Club, 

Cerner’s Village at Three Trails – The 33.4-acre retail area surrounding the Cerner campus has opened a Hampton Inn at Bannister and I-435. A Residence Inn by Marriott, Arvest Bank and a Whataburger are planned to open sometime this year.

Trails at Bannister – Affordable housing plans have been approved for a 342-apartment all-income community on 24 acres south of the Cerner campus, 93rd and Hillcrest near the Kansas City Southern railroad tracks. The plans include 19 three-story buildings featuring one-, two- and three-bedrooms and garage parking. The apartments will be built in phases between 2023 and 2027. 

Shell Gas Station – A Shell gas station and convenience store has been proposed for 1215 E. Bannister Rd. replacing a used car dealership near the corner of Troost and Bannister. 

Grandview

DMV Annex – Voters approved $6 million in bonds last year to fund interior improvements to Grandview’s city hall/police. Renovation is planned for this summer. The plan also includes a DMV Annex at 1102 Main (former Jackson County Advocate building) which will be renovated for use by the existing Missouri Department of Revenue license office.  

FavTrip – Opening on February 3 is Grandview’s newest gas and convenience store, FavTrip. Off I-49 and Main Street, the trendy store will feature a drive-thru door and 24-hour service. A grand opening is planned for February 16. 

1309 Main St. – An office and retail facility is being built by Jeff Westergard for future tenants. So far Spirit of Health has been named as a warehouse tenant behind the facility.  

SouthPointe Business Park – The SouthPointe Business Park located at 141st and Botts Road is a 67-acre certified rail-served industrial park zoned for light industrial use. The business park will soon be filled to capacity after eight years in construction when Xpress Car Wash builds its warehouse there. 

Sunrise Farms Phase II – Sunrise Farms is adding 42 homes thanks to Bryan Rahn with Valley Oaks Investments. Groundbreaking will start in two weeks for sidewalks, streets, sewer and storm drainage. Houses will go vertical in three months. Expect new houses in the $300,000 price range. 

Belton

Arrowhead Airpark – Plans are still underway for a 159-acre luxury housing development located at 203rd St. and Prospect  where homeowners could park their single-engine airplane in individual hangars near their homes. Currently, Arrowhead Airpark LLC has plans to incorporate as its own community, much like Loch Lloyd, another Belton resort-style community, according to developer Craig Wilcox.

The Encore – The $44 million, 322-unit apartment complex at the intersection of 163 St and Turner Rd opened its doors in December to new tenants. The 4-story complexes built on 12 acres consists of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments ranging in monthly rent from $869 to $1900. Completion is expected in August 2023.

Center 301 – Center 301, will be located near The Encore, at Towne Center Dr. and Markey Pkwy (behind Target). Center 301 will have 306 units featuring one- and two-bedroom apartments ranging from $965 to $1420. The property will offer a private dog park, outdoor pool and cabana, and fitness center. The project, developed by Case Development out of Tulsa, is expected to open to tenants by May 2023.