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Housing starts may be in a slump, but commercial activity has been booming in Liberty.

According to information compiled by the city, in 2008 there were 17 commercial projects, two institutional projects and one industrial project under construction.

Among the projects were a number of office buildings at the 291 Business Center and at Oak Plaza Business Center, a sorority complex at William Jewell College, a CVS pharmacy in Blue Jay Crossing, continued activity in the Liberty Triangle, expansion of Wear-Con in the Heartland Industrial Park and a building at Rogers Plaza.

“Commercial has been very strong, considering the trends across the metro area by comparison,” said Steve Anderson, director of planning and development. “There is growth here in the commercial sector, and it’s kept us really busy.”

According to Jeremy Adams, chief building official for the city, 2009 is shaping up as another good year for commercial construction. He said so far there are nine commercial and two institutional projects that have either been completed or are under construction, including a bank, several restaurants, a couple of retail strip centers, a day care and an office building

It is anticipated that ground will be broken for a new Hy-Vee grocery store in the Triangle before the end of the year, and the city is waiting for a Sleep Inn Hotel to pick up its permits.

“We expect the hotel to break ground before the end of the year,” Adams said.

Two major institutional projects this year include construction of a 42,621-square-foot cardiac unit at Liberty Hospital and Liberty North High School.

“Those two projects are very time consuming. They require lots of inspections,” Anderson said.

Liberty this year added several new eateries, including Six, Chick-fil-A, Five Guys, Culver’s and Minsky’s, and more are on the way. An IHop next to Lowe’s and a Tasty Thai in a strip center in the Triangle have pulled permits and are under construction. A Jimmy Johns gourmet sandwich shop is going in a retail strip center in Blue Jay Crossing, Adams said.

Mayor Greg Canuteson said he was pleased to see so many sales-tax-producing businesses opening on the Liberty side of Interstate 35. For years Liberty watched with envy as new businesses popped up in Kansas City.

“We desperately need sales tax revenue,” Canuteson said. “The Triangle has driven a lot of the commercial activity.”

Canuteson said his goal, though, was to attract high-tech and bio-science businesses to Liberty.

“In the next few years we want to focus on job creation, especially high-paying jobs in the high-tech and bio-science industries,” Canuteson said.

Canuteson said Liberty had great appeal with assets such as Liberty Hospital, William Jewell College, excellent schools and a Ford Motor Co. assembly plant nearby.

“Liberty is in a unique position to benefit from the life-science corridor,” Canuteson said. “We’re ready to offer tax incentives. We’re the 29th best city in the country to live in, and we’re just minutes from the airport and downtown Kansas City. We have a lot going for us.”

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