Public meeting for Kingdom City church provided public input from Martin City folk

Representatives of Kingdom City Church, LLC held an online public meeting on August 25 to provide information and receive feedback on their request to obtain an amendment to the development plan for the State Line Station Shopping Center at 136th and Washington Street.  

The church recently purchased the north portion of the shopping center  known for businesses such as Total Wine (formerly Lukas Wine & Spirits), Michaels, and Blessings Abound thrift shop. 

Kingdom City owns the space once occupied by Gordman’s as well as five smaller units along the north wall. Some of the units, referred to as condominiums, have been unoccupied for over a decade with the exception of a nail salon and chiropractic office. The church would like to use those spaces for purposes other than as a restaurant or retail location as is currently allowed.

The church’s representative, Gabe Tovar, manager for HKC Property Holdings, LLC, indicated that the church would like to use their space for a place of worship, an activities center and offices.  He also indicated that the church had had discussions with potential third party tenants but said that it was too early in their discussions to disclose those prospects.

The church would like to expand the current shopping center’s zoning allowance from restaurants and retail to  include religious assembly, schools, and sports and recreation, all listed under B3-2 zoning. The B3-2 zoning is not being asked to change, only the development plan’s list of purposes. 

Tovar said that the proposed changes to the development plan, and the planned uses by the church of its property, had been discussed with the other owners in the shopping center, and they have not expressed any opposition. He also said that the church had plans to reseal and restripe a portion of the parking lot and make other exterior improvements to their space.

When asked about the possibility of some of the church’s space being used for community food distribution, back to school drives and other outreach to families in need, as is being done at their location in North Kansas City, Tovar explained that those services were provided by a separate not for profit, House of Hope, but that such a use by that entity would be possible in the church’s State Line Station space at some future time.

The prospect of outreach services being provided at the site generated a response by one of the attendees at the meeting who raised concerns about the activities drawing an expanded homeless population to the area, as they felt that nearby smoke shops and dispensaries had done.  Tovar responded that the entities that he represents “have zero interest in leasing to another dispensary or smoke shop.” 

Tovar said he thought that the next steps in the plan amendment process could proceed fairly quickly, with the City Planning Commission being the next stop in what he described as a “fairly administrative process.”

The public meeting is the first step in the city’s approval process.