by Jeff Quibell
9. June 2010 12:56
Sometimes hope is found in the simplest of places. Monday evening, the Blue Springs City Council unanimously passed a consent agenda containing hope that the K-Mart building at 40 and 7 Highways may soon find new life and new opportunities.
Since 2003, the vacant building has been a frustration for residents and city officials, as many looked for ways to eliminate the blight that K-Mart’s closing brought to that intersection. One of the challenges in addressing the situation involved the bankruptcy proceedings that continued for several years after the store closed. It was not until late in 2006 those Tri-Land properties purchased the site and began the process of exploring options with the city regarding possible redevelopment. Several years have again passed, leaving people to wonder if anything is ever going to happen.
Approval of a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) plan, designed to encourage the redevelopment of the old Wal-Mart building and the expansion of the Hy-Vee grocery store, occurred several years ago. While parts of that project have moved forward, as evidenced by the redevelopment of the Wal-Mart building, much remains undone. In January of this year, the city approved a funding agreement in preparation for a possible amendment to the Wal-Mart/Hy-Vee TIF agreement that will bring the K-Mart property within the bounds of the TIF agreement.
This week, the council approved the assignment of Springsted to conduct a third-party analysis and evaluation of the forthcoming TIF Plan amendment and redevelopment application for this project. The project as proposed would redevelop the current Hy-Vee store location to accommodate retail, restaurant, and other commercial uses. It would continue the renovation of the old Wal-Mart location and development of pad sites, and the former K-Mart store would accommodate the relocation and expansion of Hy-Vee.
While it is early in the planning, improving the US-40 and MO-7 intersection and enhancing the retail and restaurant opportunities for residents is a high priority for our city. The Buy Blue Springs initiative of the Chamber of Commerce, designed to support business and improve our sales tax base received support from the city council this week as well. Buying local, choosing local businesses for your goods and services, helps to build and maintain a strong business community. More information is available at http://www.bluespringschamber.com. Streaming video of the council meetings and copies of the agendas are available at http://bit.ly/bswebcasts.