Community of Christ Land Holdings to Be Developed

Community of Christ engaged four nationally recognized firms to plan the development of 2,721 acres owned by the church in the Little Blue River Valley of eastern Independence, Missouri. JJR (Ann Arbor, Michigan) and Calthorpe and Associates (Berkeley, California) are leading the land and urban planning part of the project. Forest City Enterprises (Cleveland, Ohio) and Arcadia (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) are guiding the land development process.

These four firms have been working closely with each other, the church, and the City of Independence for many years to ensure the properties are developed in a way that complements the church’s mission and are in accordance with the city’s comprehensive plan. Plans were unveiled at public meetings on May 16 and 17. The City of Independence Planning and Zoning Commission approved the preliminary development plan on May 30.

Harmony in the Little Blue River Valley is a master planned residential development in which particular attention has been focused on creating an environmentally friendly, mixed use, diverse development of quality that will serve Independence well for years to come. The plan places a high value on neighborhoods and lifestyle. It is designed to encourage foot traffic and foster interaction between neighbors.

Harmony will have nine neighborhoods. Three will feature pedestrian-oriented town or village centers with retail and office opportunities. Across the entire community, Harmony will provide

• 33 percent green space—far exceeding city plan requirements;

• 5,000–12,000 new residences for families (primarily single-family houses, with some condominiums, apartments, lofts, and townhomes to meet preferences for a variety of people)—significantly lower than allowed density; and

• schools, churches, parks, lakes, and trails.

The financial projections used to determine the World Ministries budget anticipated this project. The initial purchase of the acreage by the developer helps support the results of those projections. The church will continue to earn a percentage of the proceeds as different phases of the development are completed.

Construction is expected to begin this year in the first neighborhood within the project area. A first step is road improvements to ensure good traffic flow and connectivity to other development in the Little Blue Valley area. The Harmony project is expected to be developed over the course of 30 years.

—Kendra Friend reporting