Clawing away at retail history at Metcalf South Shopping Center

Industrial demolition equipment continues to reduce the former Metcalf South Shopping Center to rubble in Overland Park.

The teardown by Crossland Construction is preparing the site for the development of 95Metcalf South, a retail center to be anchored by a Lowe’s Home Improvement Center.

Demolition was about 50 percent done as of Wednesday.

Developer Owen Buckley, with Lane4 Property Group, said land, road and utility work is targeted to begin in late September, about a month after previously expected.

Lowe’s is expected to obtain access to the site to begin preparation for construction by Nov. 1. The store is targeted to open in summer 2018.

The $180 million redevelopment plan calls for up to 14 buildings on the property. The developers have submitted plans for the first two pad sites in addition to Lowe’s, two 6,000-square-foot buildings facing Metcalf.

Sears has announced that its store on the adjacent property will close in mid September. A store-closing sale is underway, with the Sears parking lot separated from the demolition by fencing.

Buckley said he has not yet heard from Seritage, the real estate investment trust that owns the Sears site, about its plan for the property. He said the 95Metcalf South plan could stand alone or in cooperation with what Seritage chooses to do.

This story was originally published July 26, 2017 at 5:54 PM with the headline "Clawing away at retail history at Metcalf South Shopping Center."