Olathe plans to relocate the downtown Post Office next year as part of the city’s efforts to revitalize the area. The city council announced the preliminary plans on June 25 at the first workshop for next year’s budget. The move is a collaborative effort with the United States Postal Service. Little is known about the project so far, but more information could be made available within the next three to five months once more refined conversations are had. According to City of Olathe Chief Communications and Marketing Officer Cody Kennedy, conversations have been “purely introductory” at this point. “I do know that as we look to activate Downtown Olathe, it was identified as an opportunity for redevelopment,” he said. The prospective site of a relocation is unknown, but development of the new site would start and finish within the year according to the city’s proposed 2025-29 Capital Improvement Plan.
Source: Johnson County Post

The city of Lenexa is looking to get a new public bench through unconventional means — by recycling more than 1,000 pounds of plastic bags. Taking a cue from neighboring cities like Merriam, the city has launched a year-long project where it ask residents to donate plastic bags at three locations in hopes of reaching the magic number of 1,000 pounds, enough to craft a bench.
“This was just something that was a little different that could benefit the community and the environment,” Heather Howell, Lenexa’s human resources specialist and member of Lenexa’s We Care Committee, said .“People do have a lot of plastic, I will say,” she said. “I know, personally, the Amazon bags that I get every single day that you can’t just toss into the recycling bins, they end up somewhere else. So bring them to Lenexa.” While Lenexa’s We Care Committee hosts a variety of projects for people in need, it wanted to shift its focus to the environment and making something useful out of plastic waste. “Traditionally, we’ve done a coat drive, we’ve done a canned food drive, we’ve done Warmth Trees in December,” Howell said. “The environment is something we’re really passionate about, as well.” The program was inspired by Merriam’s plastic bag drive in 2023, which gathered enough plastic bags to make two benches.
Source: Johnson County Post

After three years of planning, the Lenexa City Council on Tuesday approved a new comprehensive plan that lays the groundwork for the city through 2040 and beyond.
At its meeting Tuesday night, the council gave the green light to a revised comprehensive plan, a document that serves as an aspirational roadmap for the next 20 years of development and land use in the city. The council passed the plan with a 5-2 vote. One of the big changes the new plan predicts is a shift away from big box retail spaces and offices to more housing and non-office business parks. “In 2016, the office market and big box retailers were very strong, and additional office parks and big box retailers were envisioned in the community,” the newly adopted plan states. “Today, these markets are more volatile, and additional office parks and large retail uses are not expected.” The plan also focuses on amenities that residents want to see more of, including recreational trails and parks, as well as potentially thorny issues like missing middle housing.
Source: Johnson County Post