Gardner grants approval for $200 million mixed-use project

Grata Development received rezoning approval from the Gardner City Council this week for a $200 million mixed-use development located at the southeast corner of 175th St. and I-35 in Gardner, Ks.

The 262-acre development comprises retail (New Trails), multifamily (Prairie Forge) and single-family housing (Prairie Trace).

“We are grateful for the partnership we have formed with the city staff and elected officials in Gardner to bring this exciting project to life. The goal of the New Trails Project is to provide amenities for people to enjoy life together as they live, work and play,” said Travis Schram, Grata Development president.

The development, which was annexed in September 2019, includes:

·     Over 450,000 SF of retail, restaurant, convenience store and office space.

·     50,000 SF retail anchor tenant

·     Approximately 200 standard-family homes

·     168 compact single-family home (Prairie Trace)

·     424 apartments (Prairie Forge)

·     Three hotels

“We’ve enjoyed supporting the Grata Development team throughout the planning process for this development. We worked with them to design a mixed-use community which complements nearby residential areas,” said Jon Gripka, director of design, BRR Architecture.

Gardner plans to use a one-cent community improvement district sales tax for up to 22 years to reimburse the developer for project costs in addition to a sales tax exemption for construction materials for the multifamily and commercial buildings and a 75% property tax abatement on the apartment complex.

“We are very excited to be a part of the marketing of the retail portion of this long-awaited project in the Gardner submarket. We have received very positive activity during our initial push on the first phase of the retail portion of the project and are looking forward to continuing to build that momentum in the coming months," said Matt Vaupell, executive vice president and director of brokerage services at AREA Real Estate Advisors LLC.

Construction is anticipated to begin this fall.