Prairie Village may build large homes on YMCA site instead of community center
After sitting empty for nearly two years, Prairie Village is considering tearing down the former YMCA site to make way for new, large homes in a cul-de-sac.
The 4.5 acre site on 79th Street and Delmar Street served as a recreational center for decades until it closed in 2024. The site sat untouched after the City Council pulled the plug on a years-long effort to build a new community center on the site and co-locate it next to a new Corinth Library branch.
Since no new proposals for a recreational facility or community center came forward, the YMCA put the property up for sale, which was later purchased by Overland Park-based developer Price Brothers.
Now, the developer wants to tear down the old recreational facility to build 20 single-family homes on narrow lots that would feature trails that connect to Harmon Park to the north and other existing neighborhoods near the property.
While the Planning Commission approved the developer’s request to rezone the property to accommodate the homes during its June 2 hearing, final plan approvals came with conditions — including that the commission needs to approve a final grading plan associated with the project and the developers need to address stormwater runoff concerns.
The homes would range from 8,456 square feet to 9,112 square feet in size with “a modern farmhouse design,” said Henry Klover, the founder of Klover Architects — which will help design this project.
The front of the homes would face 79th Street and Harmon Park, and a private cul-de-sac road would be designed for residential access with garages in the center — not visible from the park or the street. Price Brothers would conduct all of the street work, upgrade utilities for the site and build and sell these homes.
Katy Briggs, the managing director of marketing for Price Brothers, said in an email that home pricing has not been determined for the project as of June 4.
Mitigating historic rainfall
During the discussion, many commissioners shared concerns about stormwater drainage and potential flooding due to the site’s change in grade. According to city documents, for every 5 feet of horizontal distance, the ground rises or drops by 1 foot vertically.
“I like having more options for housing. … But this comes down to detail,” Commissioner Jonathan Birkel said during the hearing. “And that’s the concern: How can you control runoff between the houses? You have 10-foot setbacks and anywhere between a 9% and 12% grade change. How do you go through slowing down water in a torrential rain?”
Townhomes sit to the east of the site, and condominiums sit to the south. During heavy rain events, water from Harmon Park drains into the townhome property. After hearing concerns from neighbors, Lucas Moore, an engineer working on the development, said that the engineering team is working to design a system that would eliminate future drainage problems as much as possible.
Engineers plan to upgrade the stormwater drainage system below the YMCA site. However, the system is expected to overflow into the street during 100-year rain events, said Moore, who is also an engineer with Overland Park-based Olsson Engineering
While developers anticipate that the overflow wouldn’t impact homes — and all homes should feature a sump pump to manage drainage issues — some commissioners worried as the KC Metro has experienced more historic rain events in recent years.
Moving forward, the final plan for the project won’t be approved until the Planning Commission sees a plan that addresses the grading, which will come forward at a later date.
This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 12:28 PM.
