Merriam council approves redevelopment deal, TIF and CID for Grand Station Marketplace

MERRIAM, Kan. — The Merriam City Council voted unanimously on a package of approvals Monday that clear the way for the Merriam Grand Station Marketplace, a mixed-use redevelopment on about 6.25 acres north of the existing Merriam Grand Station complex.

The council adopted a project plan for the I‑35 Redevelopment District Project Plan Area O, approved a redevelopment agreement with Slater Investors LLC (Drake Development), established a 1% community improvement district (CID) covering the project area, and authorized two series of general‑obligation bonds the city will issue to bridge near‑term construction costs with long‑term CID and tax‑increment (TIF) receipts.

Why it matters: The package combines land conveyances, city site work and debt with developer commitments and guarantees to deliver a 12,500‑square‑foot grocery, a 4,000‑square‑foot restaurant/retail building, a multi‑story residential building and public infrastructure. City staff and the developer said the structure protects taxing entities by preserving current PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) receipts while using new sales‑tax and TIF streams to retire bond debt over time.

City and developer presentations at the special meeting laid out the project and the business terms. City staff described the site — bounded by Shawnee Mission Parkway, Antioch Road, IKEA Way and West 60 Second Terrace — and said the redevelopment will reduce curb cuts on public streets from 14 to seven, add sidewalks and a new crosswalk, and improve stormwater controls. Brian Dyer, community development director, told the council the project plan and development plan cover an East Block the city will own and a West Block Drake will develop.

Drake Development’s president, Matt Pennington, said the private partner has an executed lease with a grocery tenant. “We have a grocery store lease…