Lee's Summit, Mo. – Following months of
intense planning and approvals by the Lee’s Summit City Council on
transportation development, community improvement and tax increment financing
development plans, shovels will hit the ground for Kansas City’s premier recreation,
entertainment and soccer complex project, Paragon Star, at 10:30 a.m. on
Wednesday, Nov. 30.
“This is
the day we have poured our hearts and souls into making happen for the residents
of Lee’s Summit and surrounding metropolitan area,” Paragon Star CEO Flip Short
said. “The collaborations and cooperative efforts to get us to this point have
been nothing short of inspirational. It’s a momentous step forward today for
area youth sports, patrons of hiking and biking trails, and recreation, dining
and entertainment venues.”
Located at
the intersection of I-470 and View High Drive in Lee’s Summit, the 130-acre
Paragon Star development will serve as a catalyst for commercial investment in
the I-470 and View High Drive corridors. The project features a multi-purpose
sports complex, a mixed-use village and a major trail head to serve new hiking
and biking trails and is intended to be a regional destination development
unlike any other project in the market.
The initial phase of the
Paragon Star development plan provides for the construction of 10 FIFA
regulation artificial turf multi-sport fields and clubhouse, a “village”
featuring a 220-unit upscale multifamily residential project, a 90,000 square
feet Class-A office building, a 120-unit hotel and 79,000 square feet of
entertainment, restaurant/bar and boutique retail attractions and new trails,
parks and trail head facilities.
The first
phase development costs are projected at $212 million and subsequent
phases, to include
additional housing, office, lodging, retail, entertainment and convention/conferencing facilities, will
bring total Paragon Star development costs to more than $400 million.
““The
concept of creating a major regional draw built upon youth sports and hiking
and biking trails combined with new entertainment, lodging and dining
attractions is quite innovative” , said Missouri Director of Economic
Development Mike Downing. “Tourism is a major industry for the state of Missouri
and the development, while unique, fits nicely with other area
attractions."
Paragon
Star is designed to have a pedestrian-friendly “walkability” and feature
sustainable design and construction including preservation of natural flora and
water-ways, a tree planting program, use of alternative energy generation and a
site-wide recycling program.
The
initial phase of the project will also include a major trail head to serve the
Little Blue Trace and Katy Trails. The development is adjacent to the Rock
Island Railroad with current plans calling for the development of a 17-mile
section of the corridor running through Lee’s Summit as a westernmost
connection to Missouri’s Katy Trail State Park. This stretch would begin in
Pleasant Hill and conclude at the Truman Sports Complex. The southern extension
of Jackson County’s Little Blue Trace Trail would also traverse the Paragon
Star site. The intersections of the two trails at the site provide numerous
benefits to hiking and biking enthusiasts.
“Jackson
County is pleased to partner with the Paragon Star development team in the
creation of a new regional destination location”, said County Executive Frank
White, Jr. “The planned trail and trail head at the site, as well as the new
recreational and commercial opportunities, will not only be enjoyed by Jackson
County residents, but thousands of other area residents and tourists.”
“This
project has defined the concept of public-private partnerships,”
Paragon Star Project
Coordinator William Brown said. “Youth athletics, our entertainment options, recreation availabilities,
local art and promoting healthy lifestyles are all the ultimate winners
of today’s groundbreaking and our future build out. This project
benefits an entire region and we are excited to engage a wide range of
residents, soccer families and tourists to at our facility.”
Developers
intend to open the soccer complex for play in Spring 2018.
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