August 2014 • Issue 4TownTalk

The long-held vision of Lenexa City Center at 87th & Renner is beginning to emerge.

Commercial DevelopmentPerceptive Software began moving its 800+ employees into their new headquarters in July.

Additionally, a Saints Pub + Patio has signed a letter of intent to locate in the Renner89 building, and another fast casual restaurant is on the way. A local bakery plans to move into the ground floor of the B.E. Smith building.

The construction activity just west of I-435 will be the future home of the Hyatt Place Hotel and Lenexa Conference Center, which is scheduled to open in approximately 18 months.

Residential DevelopmentSeveral buildings at WaterCrest apartments are under construction. The first phase of more than 300 units is scheduled for completion this fall.

The Domain at City Center, a 206-unit high-end apartment

building, will begin to take shape later this year.

Lenexa Civic CenterCity staff and PGAV Architects continue to work on preliminary designs of the Civic Center while also pursuing potential civic partnerships.

Public ImprovementsTo accommodate this increased development, several public improvements are completed or underway at City Center. This includes the construction of 89th Street/Penrose Lane; improvements to Renner from 84th Street to 87th Street; and the recent completion of the 87th & Renner traffic signal truss.

Creating an IdentityUsing the innovative branding service 99Designs, the Governing Body recently approved the new Lenexa City Center logo, which can be seen below.

Celebrate all things spinach at this arts, crafts and food festival. Shop for a gift, cook a winning spinach recipe, or put your little one in the baby crawling contest. More information online at www.lenexa.com/spinach.

Lenexa Spinach Festival Sept. 6, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park

Bring your furry friend for a day of learning and fun. Pet-friendly vendors and educational booths will be on hand all morning. And, don’t forget to let your pooch take a dip in the pool! Learn more at www.lenexa.com/tails.

Tails on the Trails Pet Festival Aug. 9, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Ad Astra Pool & Park

Board members of Lenexa Home Owner’s Associations are invited to attend this meeting, which will cover building permits and city communications. RSVPs are not required to attend.

HOA board members meeting Sept. 24, 5:30 p.m., City Hall, 12350 W. 87th St.

Residents may dispose of bulky trash items by bringing them to our Municipal Services Center. Fees will be collected per load, and for white goods, tires and TVs. As a reminder, large item pickup service must be scheduled through your trash hauler. More information is available at www.lenexa.com/towntalk.

Dumpster Weekends Oct. 11 & 12, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., 7700 Cottonwood

City Center gaining momentumMark your calendars

TownTalk

Add to the beauty of your favorite city park — and honor someone or something special — by making a gift to the Lenexa Parks and Recreation Department through its revamped donation program. Items that can be donated or adopted include benches, trees, flower beds, shelters, historical items, or other items to be placed on city property and maintained by the city. All tree and bench donations will be maintained or replaced by the city for 20 years. They include a bronze memorial plaque inscribed

with your customized message.

Enjoy Lenexa’s many festivals and events throughout the year? Sponsors play an important role in covering the costs of hosting these major events. Lenexa offers a range of event-sponsorship opportunities with benefits to suit different needs.

Have questions about event sponsorship or making a donation to Parks and Recreation? Visit www.lenexa.com/towntalk or call 913.477.7100 for more information.

Two Lenexa recreation facilities received major face lifts this summer, and they’re ready for residents to enjoy.

Community Center gym floorThe newly installed floor at the Lenexa Community Center allows residents to have their choice of games, from basketball to volleyball and pickleball. The original floor, which was installed in 1982, reached the end of its lifecycle. The city replaced the floor with a multipurpose sports flooring product designed for safety and comfort.

Freedom Fields Located at 83rd Street and Monticello Road, Lenexa’s Freedom

Fields Park has recently undergone renovations to improve residents’ experience while at the park. These include adding additional parking and an entry/exit from Woodsonia Street to improve access. The city also added sidewalks, bleacher pads, dugout pads, a new park entry sign, landscaping, stormwater structures and substantial grading on the south end of the park for soccer and other open area sports.

The budget for this project was approximately $1.3 million, and work was funded through local dedicated parks funding, stormwater funding, and the 3/8-cent sales tax approved by voters.

The Lenexa City Council is considering the 2015 Budget and 2015-2019 Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which includes a total budget of $122.5 million.

Lenexa will hold a public hearing for the proposed 2015 budget at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.lenexa.com/budget.

Several spaces still remain in the fall session of the popular Citizens Police Academy. The fall class of the CPA will run from 6:30 to 9

p.m. Sept. 10 through Nov. 19.

The CPA is open to citizens who live or work in Lenexa, who are at least 18 years of age and who have no criminal record. Background checks will be conducted.

Each week, participants will learn about the different aspects of the Lenexa Police Department and have interaction with many of the city’s officers.

More information about the program and a link to apply are available on the city’s website at www.lenexa.com/towntalk.

Support Lenexa Parks & Recreation

Enjoy field and gymnasium improvements

City budget maintains quality services

Citizens Police Academy accepting applications

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Video cameras are one of the best methods for detecting and apprehending criminals. Police regularly ask public organizations, businesses and individuals to share video camera footage that might aid crime-solving efforts.

Lenexa’s Community Video Partnership program works on a voluntary basis with property owners who have private video security systems that record public areas — streets, sidewalks, parking lots, etc. Police who respond to burglaries, assaults and other crimes will be

able to see a map of nearby locations with cameras so they can quickly contact registered partners who may have captured footage related to the incident.

We encourage businesses and residents to register with the Police Department any security cameras that view and record public areas in the city. Working

together, we can make Lenexa a safer place to live and do business.

To learn more about the Lenexa Community Video Partnership program, go to www.lenexa.com/towntalk.

Construction on the Johnson County Gateway Phase 2 Project will ramp up over the next two years in order to complete improvements to I-35/I-435/K-10 by the end of 2016.

College Boulevard: Improvements are expected to be completed by late November. Workers have begun clearing and widening the road. Expect traffic delays in the area and short-term lane closures at the Ridgeview and Renner intersections.

I-435 east of I-35: Construction has begun to widen westbound I-435 and replace pavement. Expect lane shifts and lanes splits throughout summer and fall. Eastbound I-435 construction begins in 2015.

K-10 & Ridgeview: Improvements are underway, including the initial build for a collector-distributor road on westbound K-10 to the Ridgeview exit ramp.

K-10 & Renner: Crews will work in the area south of K-10 near Renner. Expect possible lane closures along eastbound K-10.

Starting in late summer, bridge foundation work for eastbound K-10 to northbound I-435 will begin. Additional work may take place along I-435, requiring off-peak and overnight lane closures.

Learn more about the project or sign up to receive customized traffic alerts at www.jocogateway.com.

September is National Preparedness Month, and you can keep your family safe by being ready in any kind of emergency.

Be Informed

Sign up for emergency alerts through NotifyJoCo, the countywide notification system made available to residents through a partnership between the City of Lenexa, Johnson County Government, WaterOne and other cities. Simply go to www.NotifyJoCo.org and register your contact information at up to five locations of your choice. (home, school, work, etc.) In the event of an emergency near one of those locations, you will be informed through your preferred contact method.

Make a PlanHaving a plan is crucial in a

disaster situation – it lets you and your family members know where to go and how to contact each other if you get separated. Check out www.ready.gov/make-a-plan for a family-friendly planning checklist.

Build a KitA basic disaster supplies kit allows you to have the essential things you need immediately following an emergency. A kit can include items such as a supply of water, non-perishable food, first-aid supplies, a whistle, flashlight and tools, for starters. A starter list is available at www.ready.gov/kit.

COMMUNITY VIDEO PARTNERCOMMUNITY VIDEO PARTNER

Gateway highway project gains speed

Community Video Partnership keeps the city safe

Have a plan in case of emergency

Lenexa Town Talk is published six times a year by the City of Lenexa for its residents. Please direct questions or comments to the Communications Division by e-mailing communications@lenexa.com.

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage

P A I DKansas City, MO

Permit No. 32

12350 W. 87th Street Pkwy.Lenexa, KS 66215

Ward 1Joe KarlinSteve Lemons

Ward 2Diane Linver Tom Nolte

Ward 3Amy SlaterLou Serrone

Ward 4Mandy StukeAndy Huckaba

MayorMike Boehm

City AdministratorEric Wade

Council Members

913.477.7500 • www.lenexa.com

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Lenexa is an equal housing community

Reinvesting in the community is an important part of maintaining a healthy city. And, while bringing new businesses into town is important for economic development, retaining those that are already here is just as important.

That’s why the City of Lenexa has partnered with several developers to use Community Improvement Districts to reinvigorate older parts of Lenexa. CIDs use public financing through a special assessment or sales tax within the district to provide a public benefit, including strengthening economic development and employment opportunities, reducing blight, and promoting sustainability.

One example is the Greystone South shopping center on 87th Street Parkway between Quivira and Pflumm.

Developer Block Real Estate Services, LLC, is using a CID to bring new life to the retail center that has been a staple in Lenexa for many years.

“We are very happy with the purchase of Greystone South,” said Kim Bartalos, Vice President of Retail Leasing with BRES. “We saw the property as in much need of a face lift, and the CID allowed us to expand the opportunity for improving the property.”

Those improvements include installing

landscaping, a new irrigation system and a monument sign; repaving the parking lot; and painting and adding columns and tower features to enhance the development’s curb appeal. Bartalos said BRES plans to be complete with the improvements by mid-August. Future plans call for the addition of a pad site and moving the southeastern most

building closer to the curb to better utilize the parking within the center.

“The city was very helpful in working with us on our development plan,” Bartalos said.

Greystone isn’t the only area where CIDs have been helpful in creating increased economic development. CIDs have allowed development at 95th & Quivira to flourish with improvements to Orchard Corners on the southwest corner and Quivira95 on the northwest corner.

Community Improvement Districts assist in redevelopment

Renovations at Greystone South Shopping Center in mid-July.