The city of Eudora and the designated developer of the Nottingham property took their first joint step Monday in a public/private partnership to develop the property with the Eudora City Commission’s approval of a pre-development agreement with CBC Real Estate Group LLC.

The agreement provides a road map for further negotiations between the city and developer of the 15-acre site on the city’s main Church Street entrance off Kansas Highway 10. The Eudora City Commission last month agreed to enter into negotiations with the Kansas City, Mo., company to develop the site of an old school and athletic field it purchased from the Eudora school district.

The agreement states that CBC must submit to the city within 60 days all the eligible incentives it intends to use to redevelop the property. According to the agreement, those could include the creation of a tax increment financing district, the creation of a community improvement district and use of industrial revenue bonds.

The agreement requires CBC to establish a $25,000 escrow account that the city will use to pay legal fees and other expenses incurred in the creation of a binding redeveloping agreement. That document will spell out the specific responsibilities of both parties, the public improvements the project will require, a progress schedule, project financing and needed zoning changes.

Eudora City Commission members praised interim city manager Barack Matite for his timely work on the predevelopment agreement. They noted that CBC can share with potential tenants that the agreement designates the company as the exclusive city partner in the property’s development for the next six months.

CBC released conceptual plans for the site last month, showing 90,000 square feet of retail space, plus loft-style apartments.

All is good to go at the Baldwin City Municipal Swimming Pool for a Memorial Day opening, said Baldwin City Parks and Recreation director Steve Friend. The water should be inviting despite the cool, wet weather of recent weeks, thanks to the use of a heater to warm the pool in recent days for lifeguard training.

“The heater has been in use for a week; it should be fine,” he said. “The kids will love it.”

The pool will open with a free community day from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, he said. Pool fees will remain the same as last season, he said.

The weather delayed the repainting and chalking of the Eudora Aquatic Center, causing some concern whether the pool would be open this weekend. Eudora Parks and Recreation director Gary Scott said issues have been resolved. The pool will definitely be open Monday, and if weather cooperates there was a possibility the pool could open Sunday. Pool hours are 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., and fees are unchanged from last year.

Scott said a canoe and kayak float scheduled for Sunday with the Friends of the Kaw has been rescheduled for August. There was not a large response to the float from Eudora to the De Soto boat ramp, and the river is now too high for the safety of novices, he said.

Baldwin City American Legion Lloyd Benton Post 228 will have its annual Memorial Day celebration at 10 a.m. Monday at Oakwood Cemetery. The observance will include short speeches from veterans, the traditional bell ringing in memory of departed veterans and a 21-gun salute. In the event of rain, the observance will be moved to the American Legion post, 803 High St.