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Parks board and council discuss Property Reserve Inc. master plan, Green Street Market Plaza progress, Longview pickleball and Safety Town plans
Summary
City staff and the Parks and Recreation Board briefed council members on Property Reserve, Inc.'s large landholdings and release schedule, construction progress at the Downtown Market Plaza (Green Street), and park projects including Longview Park, a landfill‑conversion park, a new pickleball complex and Safety Town.
LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — City staff and the Parks and Recreation Board used a Jan. 13 joint session to update elected officials on large‑scale land planning tied to Property Reserve, Inc. (PRI)/Suburban Land Reserve land releases, progress at the Downtown Market Plaza (Green Street Market), and several park projects the board plans to advance in 2025.
The city and PRI: Property Reserve, Inc. (PRI), a land‑holding entity controlled by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints, owns roughly 4,200 acres inside Lee's Summit. At the meeting Ryan Elam, assistant city manager, described PRI's process: land is held by Property Reserve, Inc. then typically transferred in five‑year tranches to Suburban Land Reserve (SLR) for master development and sale to builders. Elam said preliminary engineering for sanitary sewer pump stations is complete for a northern tranche of land and that an alignment study for Shear Parkway is nearing completion. He and Park staff discussed a planning framework that envisions neighborhood parks, sub‑regional and regional parks, and a 600‑acre Rock Island urban center adjacent to the Rock Island Trail.
Parks priorities and major projects: Parks and Recreation Board members and staff reviewed several projects planned or underway: - Longview property: The city is pursuing acquisition of about 13 acres from Metropolitan Community College for a destination park. The first phase is planned as a pickleball complex with 8–12 courts, lighting, fencing, shade and parking; staff aimed for construction in summer 2025 and public opening in early fall. - Recovery/landfill park (Soarscribe Recovery Park): Park staff presented early master‑planning work to convert a closed landfill into passive and active park spaces (visitor areas, trails, limited active recreation where environmental rules allow); funding for initial phases is programmed in the capital improvement plan and staff said DNR permitting will be required. - Bailey Farm Park & Nature Center: Conceptual master plan includes visitor/interpretive spaces, community gardens (the city already operates 48 garden plots), a possible barn/event space and walking trails; staff said additional design and cost updates are pending. - Safety Town: The city plans an indoor/outdoor facility to teach traffic, bicycle and life‑safety skills for school‑age children; staff seeks a site and consultant and expects to return with design options.
Downtown Market Plaza (Green Street): Planning manager Shannon McGuire reported work on the $44 million Downtown Market Plaza is progressing: the steel canopy and perimeter brick work are in place, interior finishes are advancing, and murals/public art are being procured from local artists. McGuire said the farmers market space will support 50 vendors inside plus additional vendors outdoors, a 14,000‑square‑foot event lawn and integrated public art pieces scheduled for spring 2025 installation. The council heard that construction phases remain weather‑sensitive but that utilities and most concrete are complete.
Housing and equity context: Amy Nassif, interim director of development services, reviewed housing data and city initiatives aimed at housing diversity and affordability, noting the city has about 45,000 housing units with roughly 69% single‑family and that 46% of renters are cost‑burdened (spending more than 30% of income on housing). Staff described efforts on process improvements, incentives research (land trusts, land banks), and naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) rehabilitation programs.
Public safety / capital projects: Public works director Michael Park and fire and police chiefs updated the board on the city’s no‑tax‑increase bond projects and public safety sales tax (PSST) items. Highlights included design work on Douglas Avenue, acquisition for a Fire Station 8 near the airport, an under‑construction joint operations facility, and progress on a fire station reuse project. Police and fire described investments in cameras, a crime reduction team, co‑responder mental‑health programs and a virtual‑reality training system for scenario training.
Why it matters: PRI's land release program represents long‑term growth for the city that will require substantial sanitary sewer, arterial and interchange infrastructure and new parks. The Green Street Market Plaza will add a centralized civic events space downtown. The parks projects target accessibility (synthetic turf playground surfacing), destination recreation (pickleball complex) and child safety education (Safety Town), all of which shape near‑term capital spending and operating plans.
Ending note: Park staff said several projects will proceed to design in 2025 and will return to the board and council with funding requests and refined design documents; staff emphasized ongoing coordination with the school district, PRI and state agencies for infrastructure and permitting.
