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Park University backs off push for Kansas City to transfer land to Parkville — for now

Park University is laying off faculty, cutting programs and closing campuses in an attempt to balance its budget.
Scott Canon
/
Kansas City Beacon
Park University is laying off faculty, cutting programs and closing campuses in an attempt to balance its budget.

The university had asked Kansas City to redraw boundaries to transfer 80 acres from Kansas City to Parkville, putting its whole campus and nearby undeveloped property within the same city. But Kansas City staff recommended denying the request.

A section of Park University’s campus will remain part of Kansas City, at least for the near future.

The university had asked the city to redraw boundaries to transfer 80 acres from Kansas City to Parkville, putting its whole campus and nearby undeveloped property within the same city. It said that would simplify its operations.

Parkville was on board with the plan, but a staff report published online last week indicated Kansas City was going to recommend denial during the Dec. 18 City Planning Commission meeting.

In a Dec. 18 email sent before the meeting, Park University spokesman Brad Biles said that request has been pulled, though the university hopes to revive it later.

“In conjunction with our partners with the City of Parkville and the Parkville Area Chamber and Economic Development Council, we have postponed the annexation request to allow further discussion with all constituents,” he wrote. “It is our hope to move forward with this request at a future date.”

The decision marks yet another setback to the university’s hopes to transfer the property, which lies north and east of Missouri 9 about halfway between downtown Parkville and Park Hill South High School.

In their recent report, Kansas City staff echoed concerns from 25 years ago, when Park University made a similar request.

Key worries include that the land could be used for commercial purposes such as mining limestone and using the resulting caves for commercial storage.

If the land becomes part of Parkville, those hypothetical activities could disturb neighbors and burden roads without increasing Kansas City tax revenue, the report says.

There are no specific plans to develop the area, university spokesperson Biles said in an email.

“There has been no mining/blasting and use of heavy equipment/trucks since mining was completed in 2020,” he wrote.

Earlier this month, City Councilman Wes Rogers of Kansas City’s 2nd District, who represents the area, said he’s following staff members’ lead.

He’s aware of potential problems but also open to hearing how they could be resolved.

“Once the folks from Parkville and Park (University) look at the concerns, they may be able to accommodate them,” Rogers said. “Maybe we can figure something out that works for everybody.”

This story was originally published by The Beacon, a fellow member of the KC Media Collective.

 

Maria Benevento is the education reporter at The Kansas City Beacon. She is a Report for America corps member.
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