Another redevelopment possible for Mission

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While the large Gateway project at the east end of Johnson Drive has captured most to the attention in Mission, the city got a peek at a smaller redevelopment project that could materialize farther west along Johnson Drive, adding another grocery store to the city.

A property at Johnson Drive and Barkley Street will potentially be redeveloped for two tenants, one of those is likely to be a 15,000 square foot specialty grocery store. The second tenant is undetermined, but the developer, David Christie of Christie Development Associates in Overland Park, said there are multiple companies interested in the site. He described the grocer as a a specialty along the lines of Wild Oats, which closed at the other end of Johnson Drive across from the east Gateway property.

The city’s Community Development Committee agreed to pass along to the full council a pre-development agreement with Christie which would allow a few months for details of a full development agreement to be worked out and a proposal for the site to go to the plan commission.

The property has a large parking area and an unoccupied building — the Keystone Building — currently. Part of the building will be razed and part of it will be renovated in the construction project. The site lies just to the west of the McDonald’s and is about three acres in size.

The city’s long-range plan for the north end of the property includes a civic or park space, which the developer recognized as a goal to accommodate in the redevelopment plan. A possibility to be explored is an underground parking structure with park area on top. Christie said if a development agreement can be worked out and all of his approvals come on time, he would like to break ground in June and have the new tenants open in early 2014.

The developer also indicated he would be likely to ask for public financing participation. Committee member Lawrence Andre voted against the pre-development agreement and said he could not support any public financing for the project. The project moved forward on a 3-1 vote.