Nixa council hears plans for 190-acre development

A commercial and residential development – that also includes an adventure park and trail amenities – is proposed for a 190-acre site in Nixa.

The development would be on an inverted L-shaped plot of land along U.S. Route 160 in Nixa, just south of Missouri Route 14.

Nixa Land Holdings LLC approached Nixa City Council July 14 with an overview of its plans for the site, with a request that council consider a public-private partnership for infrastructure improvements needed to make the project work.

Developers are seeking a quartet of incentives to bring it to life. Those include tax increment financing, a community improvement district, a transportation development district and Chapter 100 industrial development bonds.

No action was taken following the informational presentation by the development team.

Mixed-use residential and commercial
Custom homebuilder and developer Brad King, who also operates King Built Development LLC, described the Nixa Land Holdings concept to council.

King said he has traveled all over the country to seek out great mixed-use developments, describing smaller footprints as a solution to skyrocketing home prices.

“I’ve always believed in the community aspect of development,” he said. “I just saw there was no reason we couldn’t bring this type of project to southwest Missouri.”

King said it takes time to identify a site for the type of community development that is envisioned.

“It was super important that we could find something that had the right size, the proximity to major thoroughfares, potential for intersections, proximity to a great school district, which you have here,” he said.

Other qualifying attributes are a supportive community and leaders with a comprehensive plan that supports development, a growing population – 25% growth over the last decade, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures– strong median income and proximity to Branson and Springfield.

Scott Layton, project manager with Gaithersburg, Maryland-based Michael Watkins Architect LLC, stressed community.

“When we design places, everything that goes into designing those places revolves around the building of community, and that is what we have come here to help Brad do,” he said.

Layton said the property is a great piece of land for the development that is envisioned, and the design would work around existing trees and even sinkholes.

“We don’t have those as much in Washington, D.C., but we did our best to incorporate them into the community and make them into an amenity,” he said. “You’ll see that that winds up being a lot of green space that the community will have access to.”

He described walking trails and sidewalks in the plan.

“We like to think of things in terms of the five-minute walk,” he said. “That’s basically how far Americans will walk. Beyond that, they’ll get into the car.”

Walkability is the best way to build community and get to know neighbors, he said.

“It’s that sort of American small town we all are looking for,” he said.

He added that his company tries to put commercial development in the center of a site to give people a reason to be out and about.

On the outskirts, residential development would include large and small single-family detached homes with some missing-middle fourplex units and multifamily apartment units. Park amenities are also envisioned.

Commercial development could include a grocery store, restaurants and other retail. A grocery store would require a full intersection, Layton said, and the design calls for Pembrook Avenue to go through the development.

The presentation also highlighted an adventure park planned as an anchor tenant for 29 acres of the site. Features could include ziplines, bike trails, a pump track, a ropes course, climbing walls and more, with gathering and eating options.

Public-private partnership
Representing the developer, attorney Curtis Peterson of Kansas City-based Polsinelli PC said it is important for the developers to get conceptual buy-in from the city. At present, developers are engaging in initial discussions prior to seeking formal approval.

“You go prematurely, you literally could lose credibility for that project,” he said.

To recruit businesses and tenants, that buy-in is crucial, Peterson said.

“We don’t doubt for a second that they will come,” he said.

Peterson also acknowledged that the kinds of tools sought to facilitate infrastructure development for the project often stir up negative sentiments in social media comment threads.

Peterson is also the attorney for Andy’s Frozen Custard, which is in the process of seeking Chapter 100 bonds from the city of Springfield to construct a new headquarters. That separate project has generated a lot of public feedback as it progresses toward a Springfield City Council vote on July 27.

Many members of the public view incentives of the type sought by Nixa Land Holdings as a giveaway or a way of lining developers’ pockets, Peterson said.

“Literally, those are the kind of words you would see used,” he said. “This is by far the No. 1 biggest misconception. And honestly, it’s not your job – it’s our job as the development team over time to give the details and explain how all of this would work, so people don’t have that misconception.”

Peterson said the city doesn’t give any money to the project, and the property is generating only an estimated $400 per year in property taxes in its current form.

“Nothing that’s being requested as part of these tools exists today,” he said. “It has to be created by somebody that goes and takes out huge construction loans and puts huge personal guarantees on the line, and brings retailers and tenants and causes cash registers to go and causes people to move into the housing, and the parks have to be great. All that has to happen before any of these tools are effectuated.”

Peterson said the developer only has access to revenues that it generates through its risk and heavy capital investment.

“All the risk is on the developer,” he said.

He added that attracting people to Nixa generates revenue for existing businesses.

“Over time, it’s a massive investment in the city’s tax base, both from a sales tax and a city property tax perspective,” he said.

He added that the project has the potential to be extremely impactful.

“This is one of those generational projects for Nixa,” he said.

Mayor Jarad Giddens said the project has been in the works for a long time, with involvement by a lot of people in the community.

“It’s very exciting,” Giddens said.

Kristen Haseltine, president and CEO of economic development organization Show Me Christian County, said development tools typically reimburse developers over time for up-front investments into public improvements, such as sidewalks, lighting, roads and water and sewer connections.

“The costs to prepare a site for development and to recruit an end-user like a retailer are immense,” she said. “The developer’s own financing is typically contingent on having these reimbursement mechanisms in place.” 

The development team plans to request approval from Nixa City Council for incentive programs relevant to the development.

“We want to be as upfront as possible about the realities of development and the request for partnership from the public sector,” King said. “The finance and legal professionals we’ve consulted for this process are very experienced and confident in our proposal. We hope to build a bit of trust with the general public about the development process by shedding light on how it works and communicating as early and often as possible.”