Looking Back: Has It Been 25 years?

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society
 
As the Grain Valley Police Department prepares to move to their new facility on R. D. Mize Road, I stumbled across several articles in the Historical Society archives dated January, 1999; twenty-five years ago.

The Examiner, January 5, 1999: “A Grain Valley citizen committee working on planning the new community center and City Hall met with Architect George D. Lafferty and Sub-contractor Ford N. Bohl of Bohl and Associates Monday to discuss development goals for the 9-acre tract of land south of Interstate 70.”

The article went on to describe a municipal complex that would include a combination City Hall and police department and a community center with a gymnasium, banquet area and kitchen. They also decided to include a community pool in the $3.5 million budget for the project.

According to further articles in The Examiner and The Pointe (Grain Valley’s local newspaper at that time) the population had nearly tripled, to 6000, since 1990. With the growing town, it was widely felt that these amenities were needed. On January 12, 1999 the Board of Aldermen authorized Mayor Connie Marin to contract with FS & I Architects Inc, to plan, design and build a Community Center and City Hall.

Over the next few weeks, plans were solidified and on February 23, 1999, The Examiner, ran a story announcing the approval of the plans that would go to a vote of the people. Obviously, the voters said yes and by late fall, 1999, construction began.

Fast forward 25-years and we find a population that has nearly tripled once again. (16,178 in 2022). It is no wonder that a new and separate Police Station is needed. The Open House and ribbon cutting for the new station will take place on May 8, 2024 at 4:00 PM. Come for the open house and be a part of Grain Valley history.  Maybe someone will write about this event in another 25 years, but it is for sure it won’t be me!