The planned apartment tower at Lenexa City Center is going on a diet. Developers have trimmed the project to about 121–122 units and settled on a nine-story design aimed squarely at older adults. Branded as The Rise, the building is still set to stack in structured parking, office space and a rooftop bar, after months of revisions from an earlier, larger proposal.
Project details
As reported by the Kansas City Business Journal, the updated plan calls for about 121–122 apartments on the southeast corner of 87th Street Parkway and Renner Boulevard, marketed to active adults age 55 and older. The nine-story design also includes structured parking, about 7,000 square feet of office or retail space and a rooftop amenity on top of the tower.
Approvals on file
The City of Lenexa signed off in May on a redevelopment Project Plan 2D describing the site as a 9+ story mixed-use project with approximately 122 multifamily units and office or retail space, and authorizing a resolution of intent for industrial revenue bonds tied to the development, according to the City of Lenexa. The same materials reference developer entities and indicate the site sits inside the City Center TIF district.
How the plan evolved
The Rise has not always been this modest by high-rise standards. An earlier 11-story version was floated last fall — developer materials at the time showed as many as 132 apartments — before the developer briefly pulled its final plan, then returned to the council, the Johnson County Post reported. That round of debate brought questions from neighbors and some council members about how a taller building would sit among existing City Center structures, which range from roughly 1.5 to 7 stories.
Money and incentives
To make the numbers work, Lenexa’s governing body approved a package of incentives that includes about $12 million in potential TIF reimbursements, with roughly $8 million slated for the developer and $4 million for the city; up to $21 million in industrial revenue bonds for sales-tax exemptions; and a $400,000 City Center East CID grant tied to construction milestones, according to Ingram's. All of it comes with performance and timing requirements baked into the development agreement.
Neighbors' concerns
For nearby residents, the flashpoint has been less about architecture and more about parking. Neighbors told planners that City Center already feels packed during rec-center events and weekend restaurant rushes, and worried a new tower could push things over the edge, the Johnson County Post reported. Developers responded that their parking mix of ground-level stalls, structured parking and on-street spaces should cover the needs of an active-adult building.
Next steps
REAL Property Group, which previously developed The Lofts at City Center and is part of The Rise team, pitches the project on its website as an "active-adult boutique" building meant to complement nearby shopping and dining, according to REAL Property Group. At least one incentive payment is contingent on a certificate of occupancy and a completion milestone set for Dec. 31, 2030, Ingram's notes.
What to watch
Even in its slimmed-down form, The Rise would rank among the tallest buildings in Lenexa City Center and stand out as a visible sign of the city’s push to add older-adult housing alongside offices and street-front amenities, according to the City of Lenexa. As the project moves into permitting and final plan approvals, city officials and neighbors will be watching closely to see how parking, traffic and the last rounds of design tweaks are handled.
County-level population and age-distribution data that can contextualize demand for 55+ housing are available from the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Johnson County, Kansas (U.S. Census Bureau (QuickFacts)). City demographic profiles from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (tables S0101 and DP05) provide age and household data for Johnson County that reporters can use to assess the size of the 55+ cohort (U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey via data.census.gov)).
