The Planning, Zoning & Economic Development Committee endorsed plans for the 80-acre commercial and residential development south of Maple Woods Community College.

It also recommended approval of a tax incentive plan worth more than $20 million to pay for road improvements around the development.

The proposal and tax incentive plan were awaiting approval from the City Council today.

The development plan is a revised version of a plan that the council approved in 2000. That plan endured several setbacks.

A bridge connecting one of the development's main thoroughfares had to be redesigned. Some of the 'new urbanism' design elements, such as underground parking and second-story apartments above commercial buildings, were deemed infeasible. And the lead developer withdrew for health reasons.

A new development team took over the project and revised the commercial and residential mix.

Several governmental agencies raised concerns about the $28 million worth of tax incentives that the developers were seeking.

The developers whittled the request to about $20.2 million. They also scaled back the project by moving the north boundary from Northeast 83rd Street to Northeast 82nd Street.

The other boundaries are Missouri 1 on the east, a newly built North Agnes Avenue on the west and the Kansas City-Gladstone boundary on the south.

A newly built part of Maplewoods Parkeway would cut an east-west swath in the middle of Renaissance North. That road, however, is not yet connected to Missouri 1, which is needed before construction starts.

To connect the roads and install traffic signals, the developers need permit approval from the Missouri Department of Transportation. The permit review process takes several months, department officials said.

The developers' attorney, Mike Burke, told the committee that they are close to submitting plans to the Transportation Department.

The city is also ironing out an agreement with the developers and the Kansas City Tax Increment Financing Commission that would determine whether the city would help pay to connect Maplewoods Parkway to Missouri 1.

'I think the big hurdles are over now,' Burke said. Renaissance North would have 265,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and office space on the north side of Maplewoods Parkway.

The south side would have 207 residential units in what the developer describes as an Italian Renaissance design that would adhere to the city's long-range plan. Most of the units would be duplexes and town homes.

There also would be 11.4 acres of private open space.