Before Mission Farms became a vibrant shopping and dining destination, the land served a very different purpose as the longtime home of the Saddle & Sirloin Club, a historic Kansas City private social club founded in the early 20th century to support the American Royal. Its grounds were intentionally rural in character, shaped by livestock, equestrian activities and agriculture. Today, that same site in Leawood stands as one of the region’s earliest suburban mixed-use environments. Ironically transformed to feel intentionally urban, the Mission Farms development is an example of how land planning and design can completely reimagine a space.
From the outset, the developer wanted to prioritize a city-like experience, limiting the use of grass in favor of a more refined, high-end landscape design. Apartment units were built around an attached, internal parking structure using a wrap-style configuration that was among the first of its kind in Kansas City. To inform the design, NSPJ architects and landscape architects traveled to Texas to study similar developments.
The development blends residential, office and retail spaces into one cohesive community, with residences located above street-level shops and offices. This vertical mixed-use approach delivers an urban lifestyle in a suburban context through walkability, well-defined public spaces, wide sidewalks and outdoor dining terraces.
The project was a success and later expanded across Mission Road into Overland Park. Once a single-use site, Mission Farms has evolved into a dynamic district that continues to adapt to the needs of residents and visitors.
The original “Saddle & Sirloin Club”
Mission Farms Mixed-Use Development
