Why not Eudora?

Though 2020 may not have been a good year for much of the world because of the pandemic, Eudora city leaders pushed forward with development plans that will bring more businesses, people and money to their town.

Commissioner Tim Bruce, Commissioner Roberta Lehmann, Mayor Tim Reazin, Vice-Mayor Ruth Hughs, Commissioner Jolene Born and City Manager, Barack Matite at the site of the future Nottingham Center

“We are lucky, because last year was probably one of our best years. You would think everything would be at a standstill, but we keep moving forward. We don’t want to slow down,” says Eudora City Manager Barack Matite.

Developing a large parcel of long-vacant land to vary the town’s tax base and attracting a successful Canadian company, Modern Manufacturing, to the Intech Business Park as its United States outpost are things that any town the size of Eudora (population 6,400) would celebrate. Landing those deals while the country was basically shut down from the COVID-19 pandemic makes it all the more remarkable.

Nottingham Center

Renderings for the development of Nottingham Center

Exiting Kansas Highway 10 (K-10) at Church Street and driving north of the highway these days, drivers are greeted by construction fencing to the west and a vast dirt field with some strips of stark black asphalt, dotted with just about every type of construction vehicle imaginable. That 15 acres of land, the former site of Nottingham Elementary school, is transforming into the future “gateway” of Eudora: Nottingham Center.

High 5, a unique family entertainment center that includes bowling, miniature golf, an arcade and a full-service restaurant and bar, is the anchor tenant for Nottingham Center. With two locations that are both in Texas, Eudora is the first place that High 5 has chosen to locate and expand its reach. Also for the first time, Eudora will have something Kansas City does not, which means it will be an attraction from around the metro area. Wendy’s restaurant and Casey’s store and gas station also will be part of the development, which will have additional retail space, restaurant space and a green space called the “village green.” The entire development will connect with the Eudora Community Center to the south and existing park space, and there will be walking paths for exercise and access that reach Main Street and Eudora’s downtown.

When the final school bell tolled at Nottingham Elementary in 2008, the city did not have a plan of what to do with the school building and the land it occupied near the unofficial entrance to Eudora from K-10. Ideas and proposals came and went over the years as the building and grounds were used by the community for various purposes. The city council became the city commission, when Eudora’s form of governance changed to a commission-manager model. City commissioners entertained proposals from developers, but longtime city commissioners Tim Reazin, now the mayor, and Ruth Hughs, now vice mayor, agree none of the proposals embodied long-term benefits nor the right tax revenue for the town.

“Our ability as a commission to look at a 20-year and 30-year plan is fantastic. The commissioners that came through here have understood that we have a bigger vision,” Reazin explains.

The commissioners wanted more for the site and the town, and they had a vision they knew would take time. When Matite was hired as city manager in 2016, he took on the vision, as well.

“The city did a marketing study to find out what made us unique. Our location close to Kansas City, Lawrence and Topeka is an asset. We also have a road network with K-10 and I-70, access to railroads and small-town charm for families. We could tell developers to not just look at Eudora but look at the whole area and attract people from there,” he says.

The city commission five years ago, which included Reazin and Hughs, decided to purchase the site from the school district so it could have more involvement in what happened at the Nottingham site, which became a TIF (tax increment financing) district in 2017. Commissioners wanted the developments to be cohesive and have a good chance of success over the long term.

“The city could make sure that the gateway was adequately preserved as a gateway. It should represent Eudora and growth and possibility,” Hughs says. “It has gone slow, but I think by taking our time, it has given the public the chance to really catch the vision.”

So the city is the developer and can sell sites and parcels of land, while also overseeing the appearance and purpose. Casey’s, which will build a larger store and gas station to replace its current location closer to downtown Eudora, was the first to join the development. Wendy’s and High 5 have followed suit, and Matite says conversations are ongoing for other potential businesses at the site, including serious negotiations for a regional fast-casual restaurant.

High 5’s attraction as a regional destination is what makes this development unique to the K-10 corridor.

“I’m really excited about High 5 because we are bringing something to our state and area that is nowhere else. You know people will come here, and that is a thrill,” Hughs says.

Reazin, who has four school-age sons, already can envision how locals will enjoy High 5, as well.

“It’s somewhere you can go to spend the day. And teams can get together after a game or at the end of the season and celebrate,” he says.

High 5 likely will be open for business in 2022; Wendy’s and Casey’s could be in operation by the end of this year. Infrastructure, including grading, sewer lines, water lines and curbed roadways, began this spring. The site pads were sold to Wendy’s and Casey’s in May, so they can pursue their building construction. Other areas of Nottingham Center will be built as agreements are reached.

Once the development is complete, it will be the site for the weekly Eudora Farmers’ Market. The village green will allow for food-truck parking and other community events. A long-term ideal is for a brewery/restaurant to take the location adjacent to and overlooking the village green.

Eudora won a KDOT grant of $1.1 million for the trail that will connect Nottingham Center to downtown, which could break ground later this year.

Modern Manufacturing

Modern Manufacturing is a division of Stacy and Witbeck, a Canadian collection of companies that specialize in construction and management of complex rail and transportation projects. As its name implies, Modern Manufacturing is the construction arm of the company, fabricating steel structures that hoist signals and span railroad tracks, as well as steel buildings to house trackside equipment and electronics.

The company bought an existing building in Eudora’s Intech Business Park, which it has retrofitted for its factory, as well as acreage to the north and east of the building for future expansion.

Some of its specialized equipment has been delayed in arriving, likely because of the pandemic, City Manager Matite says, but Modern Manufacturing already is hiring for what will initially be 40 to 50 positions and eventually should top 70 jobs. Most of the positions available will be for welders and computer-assisted construction jobs for its specialized equipment.

The company hopes to draw from homegrown local talent to outfit its workforce.

“They want to bring in kids from the high schools and Peaslee Tech to be part of learning and growing. Kids could grow up and work in their hometown at a good-paying job,” Mayor Reazin says.

Matite believes the reasonable price of land in Eudora plus having room to grow was part of the appeal to Modern Manufacturing. Vice Mayor Hughs says the small-town attributes of Eudora also helped lure the company to town.

“They have jumped right in and are just all about being part of our community,” Hughs says. “They want to lock arms and say, ‘Let’s make this the best place to live.’ ”

Modern Manufacturing choosing to locate in Eudora also will put Eudora on the map as a potential location for other companies, and there is more space available at the Intech site.

“We’re excited to have them there. Because of their clout and network and connections, we’re hoping they can help recruit more businesses,” Matite says.

The city does not own the land in Intech but rather serves as a promoter of sorts in the interest of economic development. The business park is home to several long-term locations for businesses, including Air Filter Plus, which recently completed a 3,000-square-foot expansion to its building, Matite says.

Diversifying the Tax Base

Developing the Nottingham site with restaurants and retail businesses, and attracting large companies like Modern Manufacturing will greatly diversify the tax base in Eudora. There also is the potential for sports tourism as the city develops athletic fields and facilities at the middle school and high school, south of K-10. Those facilities are within 25 miles of Garmin Park, in Olathe, Reazin says, and could be used as alternate venues for tournaments.

Matite and Reazin agree Eudora needs that expanded tax base in order to repair and upgrade the town’s basic infrastructure, including water service and installing curbs and sidewalks in neighborhoods. The city has a ¾-cent sales tax for parks and recreation, so with retail and restaurant growth, parks facilities and green spaces can be maintained and upgraded, as well.

2020 always will be known as the year that Eudora came into its own, with Nottingham Center and Modern Manufacturing. Somehow, Eudora rose above the COVID-19 pandemic year and set the tone for establishing its unique identity and presence in Douglas County and around the Kansas City metro area.

“I never want to be called East Lawrence. I want to make sure Eudora stands on its own and is well planned out,” Reazin says.