City acquires 10 acres of land from Herzog for future development

Dec. 16—The city is acquiring just over 10 acres of land from a leading local contractor with the intent of developing the property in the future.

The 10.3-acre piece of land, which is located behind Time Out Entertainment Center and connects with the Southwest Parkway by South 22nd Street, was donated to the city through an agreement with Herzog Contracting Corporation.

Council members authorized the agreement at their Nov. 25 meeting to accept the donation of property, which is valued at $132,000.

“The city is always looking at opportunities to expand our existing operation. In this case, property that became available is adjacent to our Parkway system,” Interim City Manager Clint Thompson said. “Most likely this is a consideration for the future long-term growth of the community.”

The land consists of wooded areas and rocky terrain and is traversed by Whitehead Creek. The property connects with a large section of the city’s popular and scenic trail on Southwest Parkway. Expansion of the system is one option the city intends to explore for future development.

Kyle Phillips, senior vice president of Herzog’s Heavy Highway division, said the corporation has been in the process of divesting certain properties and reached out to the city to gauge their interest in acquiring it.

“That was a piece that we didn’t have plans for development wise, whether commercial or residential, and it abuts the parkway,” said Kyle Phillips, senior vice president of Herzog’s Heavy Highway division. “They’re the biggest landowners, so it just kind of made sense in our mind to approach them.”

The property agreement was finalized following the positive results of an environmental assessment of the land by TranSystems of Kansas City. Findings showed the land had some evidence of use by ATVs and unhoused people but no documented spills or contamination.

Because of the location, the property also has the opportunity for additional types of development, including housing, a key focus of the city’s long-term strategic plan.

“So it’s kind of a win-win for the city from the standpoint of an opportunity to do a variety of different uses on that property,” he said.

Thompson said development opportunities could include public-private partnerships, potentially with Herzog or others. Herzog owns an 8.6-acre plot of land adjacent to the property that could nearly double the amount of space for development.

“Herzog is a great community advocate and supporter of the city … an opportunity that can improve the community aspect and look at the opportunities that exist and working with the local business, we look forward to.”

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