Sprouts Farmers Market is to join Walmart in the project on former site of Mission Center mall.
By KEVIN COLLISON The Kansas City Star
Sprouts is the second named tenant for the mixed-use development planned for a 26-acre site next to Shawnee Mission Parkway at Roe Avenue. The other is a 150,000-square-foot Walmart that would be on the corner of Johnson Drive and Roe.
Mission officials welcomed the announcement of Sprouts, a specialty and fresh food chain with 150 stores, mostly in the Southwest.
Sprouts also recently announced it would be a tenant at the Corbin Park retail project at 135th Street and Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park.
“We welcome this new, exciting addition to the project and to our community,” Mission Mayor Laura McConwell said in a statement.
Mission officials said Gateway Developers LLC planned to introduce its latest financing and development plan to the city soon. The Mission Planning Commission is expected to review the proposal Sept. 24, and the full City Council is expected to review the preliminary plan, development agreement and financing plan on Oct. 17.
Tom Valenti of Gateway Developers said Tuesday he expected work to start on the $160 million project, which includes 300 apartments and 300,000 square feet of retail space, shortly after the beginning of next year.
“We’ve looked at the schedule, and the best we could hope for is final approval of the site plan in the first or second week of November,” he said. “I think we’ll be starting shortly after the first of the year, depending on the weather.”
Cameron Development Group, Valenti’s company, has owned the Gateway property since 2005, when it demolished the former Mission Center mall.
Earlier this year, the developer announced he had dropped a planned 2.5 million-gallon saltwater aquarium and a hotel proposed for the project.
To reach Kevin Collison, call 816-234-4289 or send email to kcollison@kcstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @kckansascity.