Downtown Partnership Background

In February 2002, the City of Shawnee initiated the America Downtown program, facilitated by HyettPalma of Alexandria, Virginia, the nationally known downtown improvement consulting group.

For the purposes of the Shawnee study, downtown is considered an area along Nieman Road, from 56th Terrace to Shawnee Mission Parkway and east on the Parkway to the city limits. The area under consideration is primarily commercial. HyettPalma's downtown agenda defines a comprehensive, action-oriented and market-driven strategy for reinventing a downtown's economy. The downtown action agenda is comprised of three components:

1. A shared community vision will be defined through discussions held with local constituents. The vision will detail what the Shawnee downtown revitalization effort should accomplish over the next five years.

2. A downtown market analysis was completed to quantify the area's potential to support retail and office uses. This  involved an analysis of the downtown's current climate, a determination of future potentials and a listing of business types that have the potential to be successful in the area.

3. Based on the information gathered, HyettPalma  recommended an aggressive five-year, market-driven course of action to attain the shared vision and capturing downtown's economic potentials. Notably, this includes strategies to strengthen and expand downtown's current businesses.

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The Shawnee Downtown Action Agenda was presented by HyettPalma at the April 16, 2002 Public Works and Safety Committee meeting.

HyettPalma worked with a broad spectrum of representatives from different organizations within the community to craft the document.  Community meetings were held, surveys were taken within the business community as well as the community-at-large, random telephone samplings, focus groups, and interviews were conducted, and talks with people in the community.

The City Council accepted the Downtown Action Agenda at their April 22, 2002 meeting and forwarded further discussion to the May 21, 2002 Public Works & Safety Committee meeting.  The Public Works & Safety Committee recommended that Council form the Shawnee Downtown Partnership and accept staff's recommendation for the primary actions to be taken in conjunction with the downtown project.

1. Create Downtown Shawnee Partnership.

2. Adopt an ordinance regarding the Neighborhood Revitalization Act.

3. Consider modifications in the zoning regulations to permit residential uses on second floor or higher levels in commercial buildings.

4. Consider creation of a CH (Commercial Highway) overlay zone on CH properties on both sides of Shawnee Mission Parkway between the eastern City limits and Nieman Road.  This includes identification of preferred uses to locate in this area, as well as in the Downtown area.

5. Initiate a request for a streetscape project through the Kansas State University Department of Landscape Architecture, and contract for study if project is accepted by the Department.

6. Complete revised existing land use study of downtown area and review on-street parking in the same area.

7. Develop, through the Chamber of Commerce, seminars regarding joint advertising, downtown brochure creation and web site development.

The action taken by the City Council on May 28, 2002 was to form the Committee and to have a recommendation from the Downtown Action Committee at the September 17, 2002 Public Works and Safety Committee meeting.

Two critical plans for the downtown area, a Streetscape Concept and Design Guidelines were presentations at a public hearing during the May 27, 2003 City Council meeting.

The Design Guidelines are intended to serve as a tool for local business owners and developers in planning and implementing future renovation and new development, with the ultimate goal of providing more visual continuity in the downtown area. The document includes written guidelines and pictures that offer recommendations on all sorts of building characteristics including materials, colors, storefronts, upper level windows, parapet and cornice details, awnings, signage and lighting. Treanor Architects were hired to complete this project and they have spent extensive time in the downtown area and met with individuals and groups to ensure that the preferences of the community were incorporated into the guidelines.

The Streetscape Concept sets out long-term recommendations for the design of the “outside” for the downtown area. This report includes a look at paving, lighting and plant materials, parking and pedestrian alleys. Dustin Moore, a senior in the Department of Landscape Architecture, Regional & Community Planning at Kansas State University prepared the report. During his research he met extensively with Treanor staff, City staff, and with the Shawnee Downtown Partnership.

The target area for both of these plans is generally one block north and south of Johnson Drive from Bluejacket to King Street, and one block east and west from 57th to 60th on Nieman, however; the ultimate plan is that these building and streetscape designs would also be carried north and south on Nieman Road, taking into account the different nature of the existing buildings and roads in those areas.

Shawnee Downtown Partnership, 11110 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS 66203
(913) 631-2500 Fax (913) 631-7351 E-Mail