Independence, Missouri

Status: Final Plan Approved

Arcadia Land Company has partnered with Forest City Enterprises, Inc., based in Cleveland, Ohio to develop a smart growth community in the Little Blue River Valley.  The preliminary design approval and zoning were obtained from the City of Independence in July 2003.  Construction of initial improvements is scheduled to begin in the Summer of 2007.  The joint venture in the Harmony project will result in one of the region’s premier communities and provide a model for smart growth in the Kansas City area.

The plan calls for the development of Harmony, bordered by Crenshaw Road and Strode Road, in multiple phases.  Phase I of this development will include 262 units on 170 acres and expand to 400 acres with 861 dwelling units including single-family detached (SFD) homes with varying lot sizes, townhouses and condominium flats. At full build-out, the master planned community's 1,400 acres will include multiple civic amenities as well as town center mixed-use areas, numerous pocket parks, preserved open spaces with trails and recreational areas. 

Harmony will be the first of its kind in Independence.  The innovative plan incorporates both smart growth and neo-traditional planning principles.  The focus in the first phase will be an elementary school for the Blue Springs School District.  The Independence, Missouri amended comprehensive plan for Harmony also relies on smart growth principles.   City leaders initiated their Plan to spur economic and population growth in eastern Independence, and the Harmony development will be the latest effort to implement these goals.  The project will reintroduce and reinforce the historic neighborhood focus of Independence, and will feature well-connected neighborhoods, narrow streets, to slow traffic and protect pedestrians, homes placed forward on lots to encourage both communication with neighbors and a higher degree of security, and targeted efforts to appeal to a wide range of buyers.

Forest City Enterprises, Inc. is an $8.5 billion NYSE-listed real estate company principally engaged in the ownership, development, acquisition and management of commercial and residential real estate throughout the United States.  The Company’s portfolio includes interests in retail centers, apartment communities, office buildings and hotels in 25 states and the District of Columbia.

Location:

Two sites:       

• West of Crenshaw Road, southeast of Little Blue Trace Park
• North of Strode Road, west of Lowe Road

Arcadia Land Company Contact:

W. Joseph Duckworth (610) 687-3100