Kansas City, Missouri – Indian Springs Mall has been torn down, but the Unified Government of Wyandotte County is working to rebuild the land where it used to be. The goal is to give the area a new lease on life. The 49-acre site, which is near I-635 and State Avenue, has been empty since the building was torn down in 2016. It is now looking for a change that will bring the community back together and help the economy grow again.
Hub with businesses, mixed-use homes, and better access to public transportation
The administrator of UG Wyandotte Co., David Johnston, sees the project as a revival that will turn the empty land into a lively hub with businesses, mixed-use homes, and better access to public transportation.
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“A resurrection of that area to more than just a vacant piece of property,” said UG Wyandotte Co. Administrator David Johnston about what will come of the area once businesses, mixed-use housing, and increased accessibility to public transportation are there.
UG has chosen three development companies to move on to the next stage of planning so that this goal can be carried out. At the moment, the site is home to the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, the Wyandotte/Leavenworth Area Agency on Aging, and the KCATA Transit Center. This marks the beginning of the site’s transformation into a community hub.
Profit with meeting community needs combined
While acknowledging the financial motivations driving developers – the high risk-high reward nature of such projects – Johnston emphasized the necessity for these plans to align with community needs.
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“We connect with our people, getting their ideas, reaching out, and informing them of the needs of the area, and then back-and-forth. Come to some sort of understanding,” he said, underscoring the collaborative effort required to realize this vision.
The Unified Government of Wyandotte County wants to wrap up the process quickly
It’s clear that the project needs to be done quickly. The goal is to transfer the land from the government to private ownership so that the area’s value will go up and residents’ taxes will go down. The companies have to turn in their plans by April 1. These will undergo a review process, to make sure they meet certain requirements and have the money they need. At the end of April, after interviews, the winning bidder will be chosen. This will be a big step forward in the project’s growth.
“We’re really looking forward to getting past the review process so we can do some nitty-gritty, deep dive type of negotiations with one developer,” Johnston stated, reflecting the community’s eagerness to move forward.
This development signifies more than just the physical reconstruction of a site; it’s a sign of hope for Wyandotte County’s future, a future where the community can come together in a new, exciting place that honors its history and makes way for growth and connection.
