Raymore staff outline hurdles and opportunities for GoodRanch Tract 1; developer talks set for December

Raymore City planning and economic development staff told the City Council on Nov. 3 that GoodRanch Tract 1 — roughly 141 acres on North Cass Parkway — remains a high-potential but challenging site that needs a coordinated master plan, significant infrastructure investment and a market transaction between developer and landowner before formal proposals can advance.

"The cost of the land, based on some of our recent conversations, is about $10 per square foot," David Gress, a city planner, said during the council work session. Jordan Lee, economic development staff, said the city’s preliminary estimate for public infrastructure to make the site developable is "roughly 3,700,000.0," which does not include private utility work such as electric distribution or gas service.

Why it matters: The site’s size, split service boundaries and proximity to a state-controlled interchange make it one of Raymore’s most important long-term development opportunities, but those same factors raise the price of bringing it online. Staff warned that unless a realistic deal emerges among the landowner, a master developer and the city, the property is likely to see piecemeal, one-off proposals rather than a comprehensive mixed-use center.

Staff overview and constraints

Gress and Lee said the tract was annexed with the larger GoodRanch development and is zoned in two tiers: a C-2 (general commercial) district north of the Big Pond and…