Lee's Summit council advances East Village plan; Costco proposed as anchor

Lee's Summit City Council moved forward Monday night with the preliminary development plan (PDP) for East Village Phase 1, a mixed-use project anchored by a proposed Costco warehouse.

Developer Drake Development and a Costco representative told the council the project will include a 166,000-square-foot Costco prototype on roughly 24 acres at the northeast corner of South 291 Highway and Oldham Parkway, multiple retail pads, a free-standing fuel facility and a series of apartment buildings stepped back from the main roadways. "We're proposing a 166,000 square foot building which is our newest prototype," Costco Real Estate Development Director Steve Cross said during the presentation. Cross said the site design includes a fueling facility with 24 pumps (12 pump positions with 24 stations) and an initial parking layout of 888 stalls.

Staff presented the PDP and recommended conditions of approval, noting the plan meets mixed-use objectives in the city's Envision LS overlay. Hector Soto Jr., senior planner, said the application proposes material palettes and internal landscaping that meet or exceed existing standards and described a set of 10 conditions of approval; Planning Commission recommended removing one condition that would have required a larger parking setback along Highway 291.

Council members scrutinized traffic, utility and design details. Traffic engineers explained dual left-turn lanes at several intersections and dedicated right-turn lanes to manage site circulation. City Public Works Director Michael Park said MoDOT has reviewed the interchange and that the corridor was planned to accommodate substantial growth, but he acknowledged the project will increase traffic and noted MoDOT’s long-term plans to widen US-50.

Several council members—while acknowledging resident concerns about apartments—said the project’s scale and the quality of the anchor tenant weighed in its favor. "I think this is gonna create a lot of good jobs, a lot of economic activity for the entire city," Councilmember Shields said. Proponents on the dais cited wages and benefits for Costco workers and a "multiplier" effect of destination retail.

Public speakers urged caution. Several residents urged the council to delay action, citing the apartment counts, long-term traffic consequences and roughly $111 million in incentives that the developer has said are part of the overall financing package. One public commenter called for broader public disclosure and more time for resident feedback.

Council action: Councilmember Hodges read bill 25-236 (the PDP) into the record and proposed a motion to move it to second reading. An amendment to restore a pavement setback provision was introduced by Councilmember Shields and was approved by roll call. After debate the PDP ordinance as amended moved forward (the vote was recorded as passing with 7 votes in favor and recorded abstentions/recusals noted in the official roll call). The council scheduled the project for the required second reading steps, and related public hearings on incentives continued in the same meeting.

What happens next: With the PDP advanced, the developer said construction could begin in early 2026 and that Costco could open as early as October of the following year if permits and utility work progress on schedule. Staff and the developer said additional, more detailed site and traffic plans and subsequent phases of the East Village application will return to council for further review and required approvals.