LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — Lee’s Summit City Council got a first look at schematic designs for its Downtown Market Plaza Tuesday evening.

It’s part of more than $100 million planned private-public partnership to add to the Eastern Jackson County suburb’s downtown district.

Public funding would create a new farmer’s market and performance venue. The first public funding for the project was a decade ago. They’ve added on over the years, now the public space would total a little over $20 million.

Lee’s Summit has a farmer’s market twice a week in a parking lot just North of downtown. There’s no building, no amenities, just vendors with their tents, tables and chairs.

The new Downtown Market Plaza is expected to have a 100 stall indoor/outdoor farmer’s market and a whole lot more.

“That’s kind of the way these projects are trending. Cities are seeing the value these projects bring. It’s not just meant for two days a week. hat it can be doing a lot more for you than just that,” Dan Pierce, GLMV Architecture director of visualization, said.

Plans call for closing off most of Green Street in front of City Hall, and turning it into a lighted art walk. There will be a covered synthetic turf performance lawn and portable stage. Other features could include piano stairs, playground and climbing hill.

“This is our first look at the actual architectural designs we’re going with. We’ve done a lot of conceptuals over the past few years, but this is the real deal. We are actually moving forward. These are the steps to finalize the design so that we can finally deliver on that performance venue and farmer’s market,” Lee’s Summit Mayor Bill Baird said.

The rest of the project developed by Lane 4 will likely include a boutique hotel, a mixed-use commercial building with restaurants and multi-story housing. But initial construction will be on the public portion of the project.

“COVID pushed us back a bit. The cost of doing business in this economy slowed us down, certainly. But we are now at a point where we can say we want to be finalized with these designs you are seeing the first glimpses of tonight and then within a year we will be breaking ground,” Baird said.

The goal will be to open the farmer’s market in 2025.

GLMV told City Council further work including parking and traffic studies need to be completed before more complete renderings are submitted with the preliminary development plan.

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