KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Wendy's and Pizza Hut concept in Argentine that has been delayed for years now may not happen at all.
Mayor David Alvey broke the news in a neighborhood meeting in mid-April.
“The proposal that came to us from the developer, I did not support that and at that point I can’t bring it forward to the commission,” Alvey said.
Alvey said while the project would be an amenity for the neighborhood, he won’t approve the $400,000 the project needs from the Unified Government because it’s not a big enough catalyst for more economic development.
“We are expending taxpayer funds on this one, $400,000, and also deferring tax revenues for 20 or more years if it doesn’t pan out, so that’s why it’s problematic for me,” Alvey said.
On top of that, Alvey said the jobs created should be more than the median wage.
“When it can’t go on the agenda, it’s dead and it was just a really unfortunate thing," former Argentine Neighborhood Development Association chairman Henry Sandate said. "Not even a consideration. That was very disappointing,”
The neighborhood association secured a $1.2 million grant from the Health and Human Services department for job growth. The grant was given to the Argentine Betterment Corporation, which is now in charge of the project.
“It’s job opportunities," Sandate said. "It was going to create 21 full-time jobs. Around here, there’s a lot of folks that don’t have access to cars or transportation to get to jobs when they need to be. Would’ve been a good opportunity for them to work and get trained."
Now ABC will likely have to give back the grant to HHS. The grant was good for five years and expires this fall.
Half the grant was for Dunkin’ Donuts, but that franchise pulled out because of the delay on the project.
“It’s going to be a major embarrassment,” Sandate said.
Sandate, and the executive director of ABC, Micah King, said they’ve jumped through hoops to get the project on the agenda, but instead it came before planning commissions six times with no action.
After ABC became aware of the UG’s contract with the Kansas Department of Transport to use the land at 21st & Metropolitan expired, they had to convince the franchises to move across the street next to the Save-a-Lot.
In November, HHS sent a representative to KCK to ask about the continued delays.
“It will not look good. Not sure why the project was promised," Alvey said. "These projects really have to go through the commission and to make promises that this was gonna happen really is unfair to the residents."
Alvey said he's asking his staff to come up with a proposal they're comfortable with.
We asked Alvey what project he would support, and he said he can’t speculate on that.
Meanwhile, ABC is looking at other options.
King says the UG officials should have told them a long time ago they flat out didn't support the proposal, so that now federal grant money wouldn't be in jeopardy.
