A big part of Lenexa's Civic Campus is up and running, but there is still more development to come.
"I've been waiting on this for 30 years," said Linda Garrett, Lenexa Resident.
After nearly two decades and $75 million later, Lenexa residents were eager to watch the city cut the ribbon on the new Lenexa Civic Campus which features a rec center, city hall, and a satellite Park University location.
"I know the people who work for the city have been working day in and day out on this project and it's just really exciting to see all of their hard work," said Carson Wapp, Lenexa Resident.
The idea of a mixed-use government building in the heart of downtown Lenexa was imagined by a community action group in 1997.
"It's really come together in the last three to four years. We took visions from those ideas and put planning into practice. The construction lasted about two years, and we're open today," said Mike Nolan, assistant Lenexa city manager.
Many people in the crowd were very excited and said the development has come a long way.
"You remember it being fields and then the roads were so wide. You were like what are they doing with these roads? They are crazy; they're really wide. It sat empty for a long time. We're excited to see it grow," said Christa Klover, who was born and raised in Lenexa.
"There wasn't much around here so to actually see the whole project kind of come to fruition is really exciting," said Farrah Fink, who toured the Lenexa Rec Center.
The overall cost of the project was $75 million, and it was all publicly funded. Some of the roads were paid for through TIF funds and grants. The city also started collecting a 0.375 percent sales tax in 2009 to help fund the project.
A ribbon-cutting for the new rec center happened Monday morning. Already it is serving 2,000 people and includes a walking track with a panoramic view of the area, and an indoor swimming pool. Those are the two things residents said were the most important to them in a rec center.
Government offices have also moved to the campus into the new City Hall. City Council will meet in chambers there, and its space can also be used for events.
The Public Market is set to open September 1.
"The farmers market and the public market with the new restaurant coming in, we're really excited about that, I love trying new food and cooking," said Klover.
It will also benefit from a bill signed into law by Gov. Sam Brownback. It allows cities in Kansas to designate districts where patrons can move around bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues with alcoholic beverages.
That will allow for several restaurants in the Public Market to sell alcohol. They will be able to move, drink in hand, to the lower Commons, but how far the boundary will stretch is still up to the city council.
There's also an open area between the rec center and Public Market that can be used for theater, music, and other events.
"I think it's going to be a great area for even not just Lenexa resident but all the towns around, Olathe, Overland Park, I think there's going to be a lot of people who will enjoy all of the activities," said Fink.
More development is set to come. A branch of the Johnson County Public Library will break ground in November.
