Feature photos courtesy of Paul Andrews Photography.
Feature photo credits: Eli Tawil | Google
Feature photo credit/copyright: Lucas Blair Simpson © SOM.
Third Street Dispensary in Lee's Summit, Mo., is an example of reuse and redesign for the neighborhood by converting an existing dilapidated building into a new and fresh retail space.
The building, designed by Collins/Webb Architecture, consists of approximately 1,600 SF of retail, waiting, admissions and secure product storage.
The design carefully considered the retail experience and its ability to shift cultural attitudes, expectations and viewpoints on plant-based medicine.
The first restaurant tenants have been announced for the Streets of West Pryor development, currently under construction at I-470 & Pryor Road in Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Drake Development president, Matt Pennington, revealed Firebirds Wood Fired Grill and First Watch as the first restaurant tenants at the mixed-use development.
“Our whole team is being very selective about what goes in. This development, to me, is kind of the trend-setter of Lee’s Summit,” Pennington said.
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, based out of Charlotte, NC., offers chef-curated American fare out of its "100% from-scratch" kitchen. The restaurant specializes in hand-cut steaks, sustainable seafood and craft cocktails.
Pennington said Firebirds focuses on quality when expanding its franchise.
“There’s only three locations opening in the whole country in 2020 - we’re one of them. So you can imagine what goes into that,” Pennington said.
Besides being an environmentally-conscious restaurant, Firebird's is also a partner of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, which works to fight childhood cancer #OneCupAtATime.
The second restaurant, First Watch, is based out of University Park, FL., and has been serving up fresh, made-to-order breakfast and lunch since 1983. According to their website, the restaurant welcomes customers with a pot — not just a cup — of their Project Sunrise coffee, along with complimentary newspapers and WiFi Internet access.
More tenant announcements are expected to be announced soon, but Pennington stressed that Drake is not in a rush to fill the leases.
“We’re just taking our time - making sure it’s the exact right users, rather than just filling it up,” Pennington said.
The 70-acre mixed use development will feature apartments, senior living, a hotel, McKeever’s Market grocery store and connected walking trails to nearby Lowenstein Park.
The first phase of Streets of West Pryor is on track to open later this year.
The fourth Martin City Brewing Company (MCBC) location is set to open soon in Lee's Summit, MO.
MCBC Pizza & Taproom - Lee's Summit, located on the north side of Hiway 50 and SW Blue Pkwy in Pine Tree Plaza, will join the existing two locations in Martin City, MO and the pizza and taproom in Mission Farms in Overland Park, KS.
Co-owners Matt Moore and Chance Adams opened their first location, MCBC - The Pub, at 500 E 135th St. in Martin City, MO., in 2011. A few years later in 2014, they opened MCBC Pizza and Taproom, just across the street.
Moore, who grew up in a family-owned restaurant business, said Martin City was the obvious choice for their first location. Moore's family owns two popular Martin City establishments, Jess & Jim's Steak House and Rc's Restaurant & Lounge, so he was - and still is - very familiar with the restaurant business and the area.
"After years of home-brewing and business planning, Chance and I decided to open a brewery in Martin City. Thanks to an enthusiastic community, it wasn’t long until we had a full-blown brewing operation, with canning and distribution throughout the KC metro," Moore said.
In May 2018, MCBC decided to venture over to the Kansas side of the state line, opening MCBC Pizza & Taproom - Mission Farms, in the former Pizzabella restaurant at 4000 Indian Creek Pkwy in Overland Park.
"The building was built out as a pizza establishment already and we saw the need for an approachable dining setting in Mission Farms," Moore said.
Moore, who lives in Lee's Summit with his wife and children, said Lee's Summit seemed like the next logical destination to open the fourth MCBC.
MCBC Pizza & Taproom - Lee's Summit is located in a stand-alone building which was previously leased out for seasonal retail. The 6,000 SF building is double the size of the Mission Farms location.
Besides a wide selection of their own craft beers, the Pizza & Taprooms regularly offer a handful of MCBC beers that typically are not distributed or available elsewhere. Moore also plans to serve a nice selection of other beer, wine and "sangria on tap" at the new location as well as their known-to-be-delicious stone, wood-fire pizzas and other family-friendly menu items.
The MCBC in Lee's Summit will not be their last location, according to Moore.
"We do plan to add more locations in the KC metro in the future, as brewery expansion is on the rise," Moore said.
MCBC volumed 10,000 barrels in 2019, with beer in approximately 200 retail locations across Kansas to the Colorado line and the entire KC metro on the Missouri side.
This year MCBC released a total of 20 “bigger, bolder, local beers,” including Double Sacred Hardway, Alchemy Coffee Stout, Violet Carson Rose' Ale and Brooo Milk Chocolate Stout. A popular seasonal brew, Donut Stout, will be released next month.
Moore plans to open in Lee's Summit on Wed., October 30th, with bands each Friday and Saturday night, beginning the first weekend of November.
Other retailers in Pine Tree Plaza include Krab Kingz Seafood, Harbor Freight, Planet Fitness, Chuck's Boots and The Smoothie Shop.
The $180 million Streets of West Pryor mixed-use development in Lee's Summit will be anchored by McKeever’s Market & Eatery. The 63,000 SF grocery store is a new-to-market concept operated by the McKeever family, with third-generational roots and over 40 years’ experience in the grocery space.
Drake Development broke ground in May on the 70-acre, $180 million project, located at the intersection of Interstate 470 and NW Pryor Road.
Other highlights include a 220+ luxury apartment complex, 165+ room hotel, 160+ age-restricted apartments-villas, and a wide range of national and local retail and restaurants. Due to ongoing negotiations, Drake declined to disclose additional tenant commitments.
The luxury apartment complex is being developed by Indianapolis-based Pearl Companies. First-class amenities will include underground structured parking, pool, fitness center, multiple courtyards, and first-floor access to restaurants, retail, and walking-trails to neighboring Lowenstein Park.
Led by Drake Development president, Matt Pennington, Streets of West Pryor was designed with the intent of creating a walkable and sustainable mixed-use community at the gateway of Lee’s Summit.
“When people think of a “mixed-use” development sometimes the end-product falls short, as it’s commonplace to have opportunities for live and play, but the “play” doesn’t extend beyond shopping or dining. We wanted to extend the “play” to outdoor recreation, and this was achieved through ample green space and walking trails connecting to neighboring Lowenstein Park. It was critical we tailored the site plan to include Lowenstein Park, which is a favorite among Lee’s Summit residents,” Pennington said.
The property is one of the last large infill sites in the KC metro, continually pursued by developers for its ideal location, but plagued with significant development issues including large quantities of rock, varying topography, power line relocation, and land assemblage of thirteen parcels owned by eight different property owners.
“We had an obligation to listen to any and all resident concerns. Planning meetings were meant to be an open discussion, answering all questions and iterating the project as we moved forward to address those concerns. We truly believe Streets of West Pryor was “co-created” with the City of Lee’s Summit and its residents,” Pennington said.
"As a consultant to Drake Development throughout the process and as a lifelong resident of Lee's Summit, I am so proud of what this brings to our community today and in the future, John Lovell, Lee's Summit Planning Commissioner added.
Other partners involved in the development include Emery Sapp & Sons, Lovell Sagebrush Insurance, RI Architects, and Schwerdt Design Group. Streets of West Pryor is expected to be complete by Summer 2020.
