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Tax Abatement For Red Bridge Redevelopment Approved

Lane4 Properties
A renovated Red Bridge would have signature towers and a corner conversation garden.

The Planned Industrial Expansion Authority has agreed to a 19-year tax abatement for the Red Bridge Shopping Center in south Kansas City.

Lane4 Properties Vice President Brandon Buckley says the hope is more Mom and Pop retailers will be willing to locate in old retail space if a developer makes needed infrastructure repairs first.

“By putting in the money it takes to get the spaces ready to go, we think it’ll have a positive impact in terms of encouraging retailers to really invest in the market,” Buckley says.

Buckley says Lane4 has the support of neighbors, many of whom attended Thursday’s PIEA meeting to rally around the project. Buckley expects more local businesses than chains to be interested in the redevelopment.

He thinks some of the strategies Lane4 used to revitalize Corinth Square in Prairie Village, such as outdoor patio spaces, could work for Red Bridge, too.

“We’re willing to think outside the box, along the lines of maybe getting cool or unique retail concepts that you wouldn’t find elsewhere, something that’s new to the market,” Buckley says.

The property tax abatement is 100 percent for the first 10 years, and 50 percent for the next nine. In lieu of tax payments, Lane4 will pay $30,000 annually to the taxing jurisdictions, including the Center School District.

Elle Moxley covered education for KCUR.
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