Leawood Planning Commission unanimously voted on Tuesday, October 23, to approve preliminary plans for the redevelopment of the Ranch Mart North shopping center.
Renderings and preliminary plan details reveal the project would include a complete replacement of the main building’s facade, a new commercial building, the creation of a pedestrian plaza and the upgrade of the entire site parking lot. The three existing pad buildings (McDonalds, NBKC Bank and CareNow) will remain. Price Chopper will continue as the anchor tenant for the center, with the addition of a drive-thru pharmacy.
The redevelopment includes the demolition of the existing commercial building on the north-eastern portion of the site (former bowling alley) to make way for a new two-story office/retail/restaurant building. It is also proposed to demolish part of the existing retail frontage at the eastern end of the center to provide room for a gateway architectural feature to mark the entrance into a new pedestrian walkway and plaza. As well as creating a new urban pedestrian-only space, it is hoped the new plaza will be used as an outdoor event space.
The plans also include the upgrade of the entire site parking lot to include reconfiguration of the parking spaces and vehicular circulation, new pedestrian connectivity, new lighting and landscaping.