KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers the cities of Shawnee and Mission. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.
The sounds of the holiday season are a little different this year in downtown Shawnee. The Johnson Drive Streetscape Project will revitalize Johnson Drive between Nieman Road and Barton Street.
City officials said the goal is to make it easier and safer to walk downtown, in hopes it’ll bring more people there, too.
According to the city, the project will include a redesigned pedestrian plaza with a welcoming space for residents and visitors to connect. It’ll also include sidewalk repairs and new pedestrian warning signals.
The first phase of the two-phase project includes:
- December 2024: Demolition, storm piping, drain piping
- January - February 2025: Concrete work
- March 2025: Paver and bench installation
- April 2025: Painting, landscaping, electrical
- May 2025: Phase one completion
Lauren Grashoff, Shawnee’s Deputy Community Development Director, said phase one of the project will be funded from money set aside from ARPA grants for downtown improvements, plus money from a property tax rebate program they’ve had in place for 20 years.
She said the city is hoping that grant money will fund phase two, which would install a pavilion for the pedestrian plaza.
“It's really exciting that there is more development coming here because the foot traffic is really going to help us,” Rameen Sharifi said.
Rameen Sharifi's business, Pegah's Family Restaurant, has sat on Johnson Drive for almost forty years.
“They (people) can pass our business,” he said about what the new development could bring. “They can see that, you know, it's a great place to eat and they can stop by and check it out.”
Sheri Weedman owns Annedore’s Fine Chocolates in downtown Shawnee. She said more development means more accessibility, which brings more foot traffic.
“I'm personally very excited for anything that brings family and people down to downtown Shawnee,” she said.
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