LJWorld.com / Oz project returns to Johnson County with revised plans

Archive for Saturday, February 3, 2001

The Associated Press

February 3, 2001

Olathe — The Oz Entertainment Co. has resubmitted its plan to develop the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant site near DeSoto.

The company on Thursday gave the five-member Johnson County Commission a 3-inch-thick binder of information in hopes of winning approval to acquire and develop the defunct munitions plant between the Kansas City area and Lawrence.

The commission, which must approve the plan before it can move forward, deadlocked 2-2 last fall. However, one commissioner who voted against Oz has been replaced by Susie Wolf, of Shawnee, who has not said how she will vote.

Commission Chairman Doug Wood, Olathe, said he hoped Wolf would be ready to vote on Oz by the end of March.

Oz's new plan includes a Jan. 25 "letter of interest" from Briarcliff Development Co. owned by Kansas City developer and civic leader Charles Garney and a Colorado construction company, Phelps Program Management LLC, to serve jointly as "master developer" for the 9,065-acre site.

Dick Ferguson, Oz chief executive officer, said the companies' interest showed that the project's momentum was continuing.

"We're demonstrating we're advancing the ball," Ferguson said. "We remain dauntless."

Oz's plan calls for acquiring the Sunflower site from the federal government in exchange for spending $37 million to $50 million to clean up environmental contamination there.

The company would then develop the site according to a master plan that calls for a 1,580-acre resort; three residential villages that would include 3,170 acres of single-family and multifamily homes; 100 acres of shopping areas within walking distance of housing; and 420 acres for a high-tech business park. Schools, park space and trails would be included.

The resort area would be anchored by the proposed Wonderful World of Oz theme park. Oz projects that 2.8 million people would visit the theme park each year.

Critics say those numbers are unrealistic and worry that the county would be left to pay for an $11 million road it would finance for Oz. Oz would repay the bonds the county would issue for the road.

County Commissioner George Gross, of Overland Park, called the Briarcliff-Phelps announcement impressive. The partnership would answer critics who say Kory has never been a developer, he said.