Controversial Edison OP revamped. These Overland Park critics still not satisfied.

The developers of the Edison OP office/entertainment proposal in downtown Overland Park have revised the office building design and parking garage as part of an effort to address some of the public’s concerns about the size and appearance of the project.

The five-story office building’s first floor would have a more appealing pedestrian-oriented design, and the parking garage would have 100 more spaces available to the public on nights and weekends.

But it remains to be seen whether those changes will satisfy Overland Park residents and business owners who have complained that the project is too big and threatens downtown’s quaint atmosphere.

The Overland Park City Council’s finance committee got a briefing Wednesday from Curt Petersen, attorney for Edison OP developers Tim Barton and Matt Druten. Council members reacted favorably to the proposed changes, but the $47 million project faces more city staff scrutiny and public hearings before it can proceed.

“We focused on the feedback we received,” Petersen said of prior public hearings about the development, which would be built between West 80th and 81st streets and between Marty Street and Overland Park Drive, south of the downtown farmers’ market.

Developers say the project will bring 400 office workers downtown during the day, while providing a vibrant courtyard and other entertainment amenities.

The initial plan called for demolition of a strip shopping center on 80th Street to make way for a five-story office building, a new two-story food hall, an outdoor courtyard, a small surface lot and a four-story parking garage. Part of the existing shopping center would now be preserved and renovated for a restaurant.

And the parking garage would be expanded from 329 to 429 spaces, including 24 spaces designated at all times for the public. The rest would be public after office hours and on weekends, when farmers’ market customers flock downtown.

Under the new design, the office building is still five stories, which some residents say is too big. But Petersen said the first floor would have an inviting pedestrian appearance. The food hall, now just one story, would be incorporated into the building’s first floor.

Council members made no decisions but several said they appreciated the redesign and parking enhancements.

Still, some critics believe the dense construction in downtown Overland Park, which also includes new apartment buildings, is ruining its character.

“I hate seeing what’s going on down there,” said Overland Park resident Ralph Beck, who has created a web page with petitions for people to oppose the Edison project.

The project is seeking $10.5 million in tax increment financing reimbursements for up to 20 years to help pay for the parking garage. That would require 100 percent of the property tax increment generated by the project, which is above the council’s policy of a 90 percent TIF cap.

Petersen said the project needs the 100 percent increment to make the financing work, and it’s justified by the garage’s impact as a public asset.

Committee Chair Dave White said he knows that will be a controversial request but he’s willing to make an exception this time.

“This is a good project,” he said. “It’s needed now.”

This story was originally published March 22, 2018 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Controversial Edison OP revamped. These Overland Park critics still not satisfied.."