Reality check is a Star series that holds those in power to account and sheds light on their decisions. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email our journalists at RealityCheck@kcstar.com.
Over the past two decades, the site of the former Indian Springs Mall has become a sought-after spot in Kansas City, Kansas, along State Avenue in Midtown.
After years of fits and starts, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, last year identified the site as one of three public parcels it was eyeing for major reinvestment and saw as transformative for the city. The selection of a developer from a shortlist of three — Christie Development, Oak Impact Group and Copaken Brooks — was set to occur in April.
But four months have passed since that deadline, and the Unified Government has largely remained silent on progress in Indian Springs. Residents eager for an extension will apparently have to wait a little longer.
“We are still in active negotiations with a developer to determine if they will be awarded the project,” spokesperson Krystal McFeders said in an email. “Once things are confirmed, UG will update the public on the developer and project timeline.”
The once-bustling Indian Springs mall, which opened in 1971, died a slow death as consumer interest began to wane in the late 1990s, like many malls around the country. It lost its last anchor store, Montgomery Ward, in 2001.
The 50-acre site has been publicly owned since 2007. The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, exercised its power of eminent domain to acquire it from the bankrupt owner for about $8 million. In total, about $16 million of public money has been spent, including investments in the site and the demolition of the shopping center.
Previous redevelopment efforts included hiring Kansas City real estate firm Lane4 in 2014 to act as a private broker to help spur investment. The hope at the time was a mixed-use development that would combine retail, office space and multi-family housing.
In 2017, the real estate firm returned with a proposal to convert part of the space into a so-called flex-tech center, promising to add 350 jobs to the area. That proposal fell through due to lack of support.
And in 2019, another initiative to create “KC Foodie Park,” led by a subsidiary of Scavuzzo’s Food Service Company, failed after elected officials rejected the idea of selling the land for $400 million. The four-phase project would have included a new distribution building for Scavuzzo’s, new stores along State Avenue and a new headquarters for Scavuzzo’s.
In the latest effort, the Unified Government last year made Indian Springs, along with two other major public sites — one in downtown and the other in Northeast KCK — available to developers to receive proposals for revitalization.
Ideas for the site have recently included a mix of retail and residential space that would complement a transit hub at 47th and State. Public input has been gathered through community meetings and an online survey that was completed in February.
The opinions of residents who participated in the survey showed that there is a need for a mixed-use neighborhood, with public facilities such as a swimming pool or walking paths, outdoor dining options and ground-floor retail.
Commissioner Andrew Davis, whose 8th District includes the Indian Springs site, acknowledged the long-held desire to see a project come to fruition during a recent interview with The Star, stressing that revitalizing the area must be methodical and careful.
And he said the redevelopment “has to be the right project, not just any project.”
“This is clearly not the easiest path to get there,” Davis said. “But I do think that if our residents continue to work with us, we can achieve something that they’re excited about. But it’s going to take time.”
