Proposed Liberty Commons drawing interest; Gigi’s prototype opens

National and regional tenants — some new to the metro — are negotiating to open in Liberty’s proposed Liberty Commons.

The $80 million, 332,300-square-foot center would be on 29-acres just east of Interstate 35 at Kansas Street. The property is currently owned by Sears Holdings and was formerly home to a Kmart.

RED Legacy has the site under contract and expects to close on the property in June. It plans a mix of anchors, smaller-tiered anchors and small shops as tenants. There also will be at least three pad sites, probably for restaurants, and a seven-story hotel. While RED had previously said it would announce tenants at the end of 2014, it is still in negotiations.

RED said it will take special care on pedestrian access for the project.

Several tenants — including services and a discount apparel store — have already moved out but it is still home to such tenants as a motor vehicle licensing office and dental office. Some of the current tenants would be relocated this spring with construction scheduled to begin shortly after the closing in June and the center opening in fall 2016, according to Dave Claflin, spokesman for RED Legacy.

B&B Liberty Cinema 12 said its lease runs through October and it is in talks with RED to go month-to-month until their new theater opens in spring 2016. Construction on the new theater is expected to start in late summer or early fall on land B&B owns nearby.

But the owner of Fuji Japanese Steak House, which has operated in the center for about 11 years, said she may just close the restaurant.

“We talked to them about coming back but the rent will be too expensive,” said Le Nguyen, owner.

New Gigi’s prototype opens in Blue Springs

Two new area Gigi’s Cupcakes will be the first to feature the chain’s bakery prototype.

The Blue Springs shop opened in late February at 483 N.E. Coronado Drive. A location in Mission Crossing, at 6027 Metcalf Ave., Suite B, in Mission, is scheduled to open in April. Both are company-owned stores.

Gigi’s chief executive officer, Alan Thompson, was born in Kansas City and lived here until he was 2 years old. He still has family in the area, including in Blue Springs.

The cupcake shop trend has been around for about two decades and while some retail analysts think the trend may soon run its course, Thompson said it is still going strong and that will only continue.

“We just have a specialty product, a treat that brings happiness, and happiness is not going to go out of style,” he said.

The prototype is designed to help Gigi’s drive sales of menu items beyond just cupcakes. So digital menu boards and new refrigerated counters display its cheesecakes, as well as other new products that require refrigeration including truffles.

Elements of the new design have been introduced in three shops in other states but the two new area Gigi’s are the first to roll out all the features, including more seating than a typical Gigi’s. The two shops also will be testing new specialty coffee offerings and some breakfast items such as cinnamon rolls and muffins.

Gigi’s was founded in 2008 in Nashville, Tenn., and now has nearly 100 locations in 23 states, including one in Overland Park. It plans to open 25 additional shops this year. It opened its first international location in January in South Korea under a franchise agreement that calls for 100 units.

It also added breads to its offerings in January and in February, founder Gigi Butler was featured on CBS’s “Undercover Boss”.

This story was originally published March 11, 2015 at 10:19 AM with the headline "Proposed Liberty Commons drawing interest; Gigi’s prototype opens."