Title
An Ordinance approving the First Amendment to the John Knox Village Chapter 353 Redevelopment Agreement among the City of Lee's Summit, the John Knox Village Redevelopment Corporation, and John Knox Village.
Body
Issue/Request:
On July 15th, John Knox Village (“JKV”) presented a conceptual plan and incentive request for the renewal of the John Knox Village Chapter 353 Redevelopment Plan (“Plan”). At that meeting, it was recommended by the City Council that the Chapter 353 renewal plan and JKV’s overall request needed additional work. City Council suggested a limited extension of the current Chapter 353 Redevelopment Plan, to give JKV additional time to prepare a more comprehensive request to reset the tax abatement structure in a different manner, if JKV decides to do so.
The First Amendment to the Redevelopment Agreement is a method of implementing the City Council’s suggestion of a limited time extension. The First Amendment will be a two-year extension and will give JKV the ability to continue to activate abatement under the existing structure until August 2027.
Key Issues:
Limited extension of the John Knox Village Chapter 353 Redevelopment Agreement among the City of Lee’s Summit, the John Knox Village Redevelopment Corporation, and John Knox Village.
Proposed City Council Motion:
I move for second reading of An Ordinance approving the First Amendment to the John Knox Village Chapter 353 Redevelopment Agreement among the City of Lee's Summit, the John Knox Village Redevelopment Corporation, and John Knox Village.
Background:
The City Council approved the John Knox Village Chapter 353 Redevelopment Plan in 2015. The Redevelopment Agreement limits the activation of tax abatement on a parcel-by-parcel basis to ten years, which expired in August 2025.
On July 15, 2025, JKV made a conceptual presentation to the City Council, requesting a significant reset of the tax abatement structure. The Council’s nonbinding feedback was that the JKV request needed more work to achieve Council approval. A majority of the Council expressed a willingness to allow for a limited time extension of one or two years, to give JKV more time to prepare another request that addresses the Council’s primary concerns regarding a wholesale reset of the tax abatement structure.
Impact/Analysis:
The amendment to the John Knox Village Chapter 353 Redevelopment Plan will allow JKV to implement abatement under the existing Plan until August 27, 2027. Per Council’s suggestion, this will allow them time to bring forth a more comprehensive plan.
Presenter
David Bushek, Chief Counsel of Economic Development & Planning
Erin Kelly, Staff Attorney