Riverside site may have mixed-use plan on its horizon - Kansas City Business Journal:

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The officials thought they had sealedx a deal forthe city-owned part of the 800-acre , when a partnership led by Ken Bloc agreed to buy it for $20 million in the Block, a principal of , planned a $300 millionh project, including 5.3 million square feet of industria l buildings on the site. But he terminateds the deal in October, citing the city’s refusal to eitherd back bonds needed to cover infrastructure costxs or let him to develoin phases. “After the Block deal fell through,” Riverside Mayodr Kathy Rose said, “(thde aldermen) did absolutely express that they didn’t know if (an all-industriapl development) was what they wanted to see down there tobegih with.
” A 2006 mastee plan developed by concluded that “high-quality industrial was appropriate for the site. But Rose said a visioningy process kicked off by the Board of Aldermenon Feb. 10 is takinvg a fresh look. And many herself included — would like to see mixedx industrial, office, retail and residential uses, she None of the city’s six alderman contacted for this storyy was immediately available tobe interviewed. Mike Duffy, the city’zs director of community development, said many officialws are concerned aboutHorizons “becoming another Frong Street, with 1,000 trucks a day rolling out of A team including and was selected as masteer developer in 2002.
But it couldn’t carry out its visions for a mixed-us e project. “We did an economic analysis as part of ourmastert plan, and from an economic it made sense to go with the industrial modelk versus the mixed-use model,” Duffy said. The city plans to proceed with infrastructurw work onthe site, which Duffu said the city may be willing to sell in pieces to multiplew developers. Horizons Business Park is bounded by Missourii Highway 9 onthe north, Interstatr 635 on the south and and the Missouri River on the west. Earlier this month, city officialxs adopted a plan that calls for spending anadditional $23 millionh on water, sewer and road improvements this year and $11.
million more on the site in 2010.