In order to complete its third location throughout the Kansas City metro area, another Trader Joe’s may be headed to Johnson County.
A new project to rezone and redevelop several parcels along Ikea Way, close to West 62nd Terrace, Antioch Road, and Shawnee Mission Parkway, was unanimously approved at Monday night’s Merriam Special City Council meeting.
This is part of a long-awaited plan to redevelop the north-west corner of Shawnee Mission Parkway and Antioch Road.
Slater Investors LLC, represented by Drake Development, is taking over the $102 million mixed-use development project known as the “Grand Station Marketplace” or “Merriam Grand Station Marketplace,” according to the city council.
The project includes proposals for a 215-unit apartment complex, a 4,000-square-foot restaurant or retail space, and a 12,500-square-foot structure that will house a new grocery store, maybe a Trader Joe’s.
The project, which will cover roughly six acres, will comprise property that was formerly occupied by the Antioch Library, a Shell gas station, a Chipotle, and a few other establishments.
The new Trader Joe’s will replace the Hen House Market, which closed in July 2018 and is located at 5800 Antioch Road.
In addition to being important for the City of Merriam’s long-term ambitions, the project aims to restore a grocery store to the town, according to the project proposal posted on the city council website.
Drake Development and the city will now collaborate on the site’s ownership and construction following Monday’s meeting.
The development plan calls for Drake Development to take over the 215-unit apartment building on the west block of the marketplace, while the city will occupy the east block, which would include the restaurant, retail establishments, and possible Trader Joe’s.
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Whether Trader Joe’s will occupy the 12,500-square-foot retail location is still up in the air. However, the well-known supermarket had applied for a building permission from the city, as was disclosed in the last few minutes of the meeting on Monday night.
The city is expected to issue at least $32 million in bonds to pay its share of the expenses. Council members talked about ways the city would reimburse itself during Monday’s meeting, including a one percent sales tax for community development districts. However, this is not final.
The proposed new Trader Joe’s would be the third facility in the Kansas City metro area; the other two are already located on West 119th Street in Leawood, Kansas, and Ward Parkway in Kansas City, Missouri.
