ShawneeDispatch.com

Members of the Shawnee City Council got a look at several projects under way in the city to the south at an Oct. 24 meeting with Lenexa city officials.

The annual meeting of the two cities' councils, held at the Lenexa Convention Center, provided a chance to get in sync and form ties between the cities. Officials from each city covered the progress of three of their city's major projects.

Lenexa city officials first discussed the progress of the Single Point Urban Interchange 87th Street Bridge over Interstate 35 -- a joint project with Overland Park and the state for which Lenexa contributed $16.6 million. The street was widened to six lanes for the recently completed, two-year project. Lenexa also made improvements to Quivira, and 87th Street west of Quivira is still under construction.

Bill Nicks, Lenexa's parks and recreation director, and Ron Norris, public works director, also covered plans for Prairie Star Parkway. Formerly 95th Street, Norris said the city hoped to begin construction on the parkway west of Kansas Highway 7 next spring.

The section of the parkway would be Lenexa's first "roundabout corridor," and would have seven roundabout intersections between K-7 and Mize Boulevard. As part of the city's Rain to Recreation program and sales tax, about 70,000 plants will be planted along the road, and other measures have been taken to reduce flooding while at the same time creating recreational areas.

One of those areas is Lake Lenexa, between 83rd Street and the parkway off Monticello Road. Nicks said the $23 million dam for the lake was completed and it was beginning to fill up, but the area wouldn't be open to the public until Monticello Road was improved next year.

The Lenexa is spending $17 million on the 35-acre lake and its amenities in the 240-acre Black Hoof Park. Four miles of walking trails will loop around the lake and through neighborhoods to the south, and the lake will have a boat dock and ramp, outcroppings for public art, a disc golf course and several shelters and playgrounds.

Finally, Roger Kroh, planning and development director, updated Shawnee officials on the progress of the Lenexa City Center planned for all four corners of 87th and Renner Road. The total complex would include a mix of residential condos with one million square feet of retail space and an additional million square feet of office space, as well as a golf complex currently under construction.

Kroh said the golf course would be open to players in late 2007 or early 2008. He said developers hoped to begin groundwork on the rest of the development in mid-2007. He also said estimates showed it would take 20 years to fully build all four corners and improve streets.

"This is going to be the new downtown for Lenexa," Kroh said.

The investments the city would have to make would include a possible Tax Increment Financing district in the area and improvements to 87th and Renner.

For Shawnee, Neil Holman, parks and recreation director, told Lenexa officials about Pioneer Crossing Park, the expansion of the Clear Creek Trail and plans for their citywide bike and trail system. Carol Gonzales, city manager, also covered Shawnee's downtown revitalization efforts, discussing the streetscape, the new East Pool and the incentive programs the city provides for home and business construction and refurbishing in the downtown area.

Eric Wade, Lenexa city administrator, said Lenexa was looking to do a similar incentive program for its older areas, and Lenexa would likely borrow from Shawnee's programs.

Wade also said he hoped Shawnee and Lenexa could continue to work together in the Kansas Legislature on issues such as countywide sales taxes and excise taxes.