Lee's Summit City Council on Tuesday advanced a slate of measures to second reading tied to the proposed Oldham Village redevelopment, a mixed-use project on land near the U.S. 50 and M-291 interchange that would include retail, restaurants, apartments and a parks field house.

Council members voted to advance rezoning and preliminary development plan ordinances and to set in motion public-financing measures, including a TIF plan and a regional Community Improvement District (CID). Supporters said the project would remove a long-identified, blighted site and provide infrastructure and recreational amenities; opponents — including Hy-Vee and other retailers — warned a regional CID could place an unfair sales-tax burden on existing stores and customers.

The council advanced the preliminary development plan for "Oldham Village Phase 1" to second reading on a 7–1 vote after a detailed staff and developer presentation that outlined a 39-acre first phase containing retail pads, a 300-unit apartment component and a planned parks field house.

Developer Drake Development and consultant Engineering Solutions told the council the project would require substantial public infrastructure — relocated and upgraded intersections, sanitary sewer extensions and underground utilities — that, in the developer's view, make public incentives appropriate. Matt Pennington of Drake Development described the site as a long-standing redevelopment priority and called the package a "gateway" catalyst for more growth along 291 and U.S. 50.

Public testimony was sharply divided. Representatives of Hy-Vee urged the council not to include their supermarket in the proposed CID, saying the district would levy a 1% sales tax that would be passed to Hy-Vee customers while providing no direct, guaranteed benefits to that store. Hy-Vee lawyers and store directors said the company supports targeted public investment but objected to the CID's footprint and the plan to use grocery store receipts to fund off-site improvements without firm commitments. QuikTrip and other property owners in the corridor told council they support a regional financing approach and asked for assurances that revenues tied to their sites would be directed to nearby interchange work.

City staff and the city's independent financial adviser, Baker Tilly, said the materials filed with the TIF Commission and later supplemental work showed the developer's assumptions were mathematically consistent and that incentives were necessary to bridge a financing gap; Baker Tilly's sensitivity testing, shared with council, said the project becomes marginal if incentives fall below a stated net present value threshold.

Councilman John Shields, who moved multiple ordinances to second reading, said the project would clear a blighted area and provide long-term community benefit. Others emphasized they wanted stronger contractual language during implementation to ensure revenues captured in the CID and TIF are applied to the public improvements the council expects to be funded.

Votes at a glance: the council advanced the Oldham Village Phase 1 preliminary development plan (Bill 25-002) and the Phase 2 rezoning (Bill 25-003) to second reading on 7-1 votes. The council also advanced the Oldham Village TIF plan (Bill 25-004), initial TIF activation ordinances (Bills 25-005 through 25-008), a petition to form the Oldham Village CID (Bill 25-009), and a redevelopment project under the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority framework (Bill 25-010) to second reading; all moved forward on 7-1 votes.

What happens next: staff said implementing agreements (TIF cooperative agreement, CID formation documents and LCRA contract) will be negotiated after council direction and before second readings; those agreements will spell out revenue waterfalls, priorities and reporting. Several council members said they want contractual guarantees or phased protections so captured revenues help the interchange and other public infrastructure and ensure that captured revenues do not leave existing public taxing jurisdictions without reasonable share.

Council members repeatedly asked staff to pursue negotiated language that could address Hy-Vee and QuikTrip concerns about how CID proceeds would be allocated and how future interchange work (particularly a proposed Third Street interchange) would be prioritized. City attorneys and the developer said they can write such protections into the implementing contracts, but those details will be part of the next step if council affirms second readings.

Motions and votes recorded at the meeting: the council voted 7'to
2 to move the Phase 1 PDP (mover: Council Member Prior; second: Council Member Hodges); 7'to
2 to move Phase 2 rezoning (mover: Council Member Lovell; second: Council Member Shields); and a series of 7'to
2 votes advancing the TIF, redevelopment project activations and the CID petition to second reading (mover on financing items: Council Member Shields; various seconds recorded). All items will return for necessary second-reading votes after staff and the developer negotiate implementation terms.

Why it matters: Council members who supported moving the measures to second reading said Oldham Village unlocks decades of deferred development, funds major public infrastructure and builds community amenities such as a field house. Opponents warned a broadly drawn CID moves the tax burden to existing businesses and residents without a guaranteed schedule of improvements. Council members said they will use the implementation phase to tighten guarantees, control governance of the CID and define clear priorities for captured revenues.

The council's action keeps the project alive; final decisions on incentives and ordinance adoption will follow after staff and the developer finalize the implementing contracts and those documents are returned to council for second readings and final action.