Where do you spend a Saturday in Lee's Summit this fall? You can make the Costco run at Oldham Parkway, then go downtown for the parade, the tree lighting or Santa at the train station. Since Oct. 2, the town has had two busy centers about a highway overpass apart, and they're good at different things right now. The new corner at Missouri 291 and US 50 opened with places you stop at and leave. The places built for lingering won't open there until 2027. Until then, downtown carries the season.
The Corner Opened in the Order You Run Errands
Costco opened first at the new crossroads. The warehouse at 10 SE Oldham Parkway welcomed its first shoppers at 8 a.m. on Oct. 2, 2026, as the anchor of the East Village mixed-use development, KCTV reported. The Kansas City Star put the building at 166,000 square feet. The timing pulls in shoppers from well beyond Lee's Summit. Costco's Midtown Kansas City store on Linwood Boulevard ran its last day as a standard warehouse on Oct. 1 and is being converted into a Costco Business Center. Costco officials pointed shoppers who want everyday wholesale groceries, clothing and full automotive service to the new Lee's Summit store, according to KCTV.
The other side of 291 filled in first. Oldham Village sits west of the highway and East Village sits east, both south of US 50. Oldham Village already has Q39, Smalls Sliders, a Chick-fil-A and a car wash. Q39 opened at 240 SW Oldham Parkway on Aug. 3, 2026, and the barbecue restaurant calls it its largest location.
The ground has been ready for years. The site once held the ADESA Auto Auction and other large businesses. The city's public works director, Michael Park, told the Star that preparation started about a decade ago. That work included widening 291, adding signals and turn lanes, improving Jefferson Street and Bailey Road, and rebuilding the 291 and 50 interchange with MoDOT. Park said the interchange was "designed for this kind of growth." The roads were built for full buildout, but the buildings are going up in phases. As of this fall, the open businesses are a warehouse club, quick-service restaurants, a car wash and one sit-down barbecue restaurant.
The Places for Lingering Are Set for 2027
The rest of the corner is still under construction. These are the published timelines:
- Five Four Restaurant & Drafthouse, 301 SW Oldham Parkway. The Five Four location page lists Lee's Summit as "Opening Winter 2027." KCTV reported that it is planned with pickleball courts, golf bays, yard games and outdoor patio seating.
- Starbucks, 1031 SW Jefferson Xing. The city's July 2026 Development Minute said it was under construction in Oldham Village and aiming for early 2027.
- Lee's Summit Indoor Sports Complex, 201 SW Oldham Parkway. The City of Lee's Summit project page lists 10 basketball courts, 14 volleyball courts, pickleball courts, meeting rooms and Parks & Recreation administrative offices. The city estimates completion in "Winter of 2027-2028." Link 2 Lee's Summit reported a late fall 2027 opening, 20 pickleball courts, grab-and-go concessions and event space for up to 250 people.
Each of these projects is a place to spend an evening, meet a friend or hold a team practice. Drake Development is still recruiting tenants for both villages. The Star reported plans for more restaurants, retail, a gas station and apartments in Oldham Village. East Village is planned for more retail, apartments and public green space. None of those projects has a public opening date. Starbucks is the earliest of the three listed above, and even it is aimed at 2027. That leaves the holidays this year to downtown.
Getting In, Getting Out, and Walking Over
Through the end of this year, a trip to the new corner is mostly a driving trip. The city's own planning makes that clear. The original traffic study assumed a warehouse club would bring about 7,000 vehicles a day. Costco raised that estimate to 11,000, the Star reported. Park told the paper the city expected opening crowds similar to the opening of the metro's first Whataburger on Douglas Street:
"We are planning it like a special event. But it will eventually normalize."
The access plan comes in phases. City traffic engineer Susan Barry told the Star that in phase one, the only way into Costco is from 291. Access from Bailey Road comes in phase two. The developer must update its traffic study once the store is open. The city and state planned to watch traffic through the fall and adjust signal timing. As East Village grows, its road network will extend to Bailey Road and more work on 291 will follow. Barry's advice before the opening was practical. "If you don't like crowds, maybe wait a couple of weeks," she told the Star.
You can also walk. A sidewalk crosses from the west development to the east, and a pedestrian walkway built into the US 50 overpass connects both villages to downtown Lee's Summit. That overpass link is the reason the two centers work together. Make the bulk run by car, park it, then walk over the overpass to whatever is happening downtown that day.
Downtown's Calendar for November and December
Downtown has a full schedule this season, mostly within a few blocks of SE Main and SE 3rd. Each date below comes from the Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street events calendar.
- Holiday Open House, Nov. 6–7, downtown at SE Main and SE 3rd. Details on participating businesses haven't been announced yet.
- Annual Veterans Day Parade: America 250, Nov. 7, 11 a.m. to noon, at SE Main and SE 3rd.
- Lee's Summit Farmers Market Holiday Mart, Nov. 14, Nov. 28, Dec. 5 and Dec. 19, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Green Street at 209 SE Green Street.
- Mayor's Tree Lighting, Nov. 20, 5 to 8:30 p.m., on Green Street. The program and tree lighting begin at 6 p.m.
- Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28, downtown at SE Main and SE 3rd.
- Selfies with Santa, Nov. 28, Dec. 5, Dec. 12 and Dec. 19, 3 to 5 p.m., at the Lee's Summit History Museum, 220 SW Main Street.
- All Aboard with Santa on the Missouri River Runner, Dec. 5–6, at the Lee's Summit Amtrak station, 217 SW Main Street. The train is scheduled to arrive at 1:03 p.m. on Dec. 5 and 9:16 a.m. on Dec. 6.
- Lee's Summit Jazz Orchestra Winter Wonderland Fundraiser, Dec. 15, 6 to 7:30 p.m., on Green Street.
Several dates line up well with the walkway. On Nov. 28 and Dec. 5, the Holiday Mart and Selfies with Santa fall on the same day. Dec. 5 also has the Santa train arriving in the early afternoon. You can make an Oldham Parkway errand run that morning, walk over US 50, and arrive downtown in time for the market and the museum. When you want a sit-down dinner, Q39 is back across the overpass on SW Oldham Parkway.
Downtown's shops are also adding to the list. Well Read Bookstore was set to open Aug. 28 at 241 SE Main St., Lee's Summit Lowdown reported. That puts it close to the Holiday Open House and Small Business Saturday stops. The Kansas City Star reported in August that Hometown Subs was taking over 11 SE Third St. At the time, the shop was aiming to serve customers in early October.
By next holiday season, Five Four's patio, the Starbucks on Jefferson Xing and possibly the fieldhouse courts could make the 291 and 50 corner a place to spend an evening. This year, the corner is for errands and Q39, and the parade, the tree and Santa's train are downtown on Main Street.
A new Costco and a new barbecue spot change how a part of town gets used, and that shows up when homes there sell. If you're wondering how the 291 and 50 buildout affects the value of your Lee's Summit home, The Huff Group follows these projects as they open and can walk you through what they mean for your street. Book an appointment and we'll start with the map.
