Parade Park’s next chapter is a bold vision for affordable and modern housing

Parade Park Homes, established in 1963, holds a significant place in Kansas City's history as the city's oldest Black-owned housing cooperative. Situated near the historic 18th and Vine District, the complex originally featured 510 townhouse units, providing affordable housing and fostering a sense of community among its residents. 

Over the years, Parade Park faced numerous challenges, including deteriorating infrastructure and financial difficulties. By 2022, the cooperative defaulted on a $10 million loan, leading the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to take control of the property. Inspections revealed unsafe living conditions, prompting HUD to initiate foreclosure proceedings in 2023. 

In response to these challenges, Kansas City officials developed a plan to preserve and revitalize Parade Park. In December 2023, the City Council authorized the acquisition of the property from HUD, aiming to protect current residents and prevent displacement. The city partnered with Flaherty & Collins Properties, a real estate developer based in Indianapolis, to spearhead the redevelopment efforts. 

The redevelopment plan, announced in early 2024, is a comprehensive $275 million initiative designed to transform Parade Park into a vibrant, modern community. The project envisions the construction of over 1,000 new residential units, including market-rate, affordable, family, and senior housing options. Additionally, the development will feature 15,000 SF of commercial space and 26.61 acres of open space, enhancing the neighborhood's appeal and functionality. 

Above: The Parade Park Homes redevelopment Master Plan showing the breakdown of housing categories. Image courtesy of the City of Kansas City, Missouri.

A significant milestone in the redevelopment effort occurred in January 2025, when HUD awarded a $15.5 million grant through its Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program. This funding is allocated to provide capital and rental assistance for low-income seniors aged 62 and above at Parade Park Homes, ensuring that the community remains inclusive and supportive of its aging residents. 

The redevelopment is planned in phases, with the initial phase focusing on constructing 200 market-rate housing units, 200 low-income tax credit housing units, an 80-unit intergenerational senior housing development, and the aforementioned commercial space. This approach aims to revitalize the neighborhood while preserving its historical significance and cultural heritage. 

Community engagement is a cornerstone of the redevelopment process. Residents and stakeholders are encouraged to provide feedback and share ideas to ensure the project aligns with the community's needs and aspirations. This collaborative approach aims to create a revitalized neighborhood that honors its rich history while offering modern amenities and housing options. 

The transformation of Parade Park Homes represents a significant investment in Kansas City's East Side, reflecting a commitment to preserving affordable housing and fostering community development. By addressing past challenges and implementing a forward-thinking redevelopment plan, Parade Park is poised to become a vibrant, inclusive community that honors its historical roots while embracing future growth.

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Header image: A rendering shows what the new apartments could look like in the new Parade Park Homes community. Image credit: Moody Nolan

Kansas City is revitalizing Berkley Riverfront with a bold vision for the future

In July 2023, Port KC and the Kansas City Current unveiled an ambitious 10-year master plan to transform Berkley Riverfront into a vibrant, mixed-use district. This collaboration is set to revitalize the area, blending residential, commercial, and recreational spaces to create a dynamic urban destination.

As of early 2025, construction is well underway, with significant progress already made. Spanning approximately 10 acres, the development will feature two seven-story apartment buildings with 1,038 residential units, 10% of which will be designated as affordable housing. The project also includes 53,000 square feet of retail space, a "Crew Quarters" building with indoor-outdoor restaurant facilities, and a town square with a central plaza and splash pad. A scenic riverfront promenade will further enhance the area, providing a welcoming space for activities like dog walking and leisure strolls.

More than two acres of community and gathering spaces will host year-round events such as movie nights, food festivals, fitness classes, and live music, fostering a strong sense of connection and engagement.

Above: The scenic Berkley Riverfront promenade facing the Missouri River. Image courtesy of Port KC

The Origin Hotel Kansas City, a boutique hotel featuring pet-friendly accommodations and pre-game dining at its Show Pony restaurant, is ready to welcome guests. Additionally, Two Birds, One Stone—a two-story beer garden offering outdoor food and entertainment—is set to open soon, with an exact date to be announced.

Further boosting the area's accessibility, the KC Streetcar's Riverfront Extension is expected to be operational by early 2026. The first phase of the development is scheduled for completion ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, positioning Berkley Riverfront as a premier destination for residents and visitors alike.

This transformative project reflects Kansas City's commitment to revitalizing its riverfront, creating a walkable, high-density district that honors the area's rich history while embracing modern urban living.

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Header image: A rendering of the 10-acre Berkley Riverfront Development is a 10-year project that will bring multifamily housing, retail, and business to the riverfront area. Image courtesy of Pork KC

Street smart—street clearing and repair among top priorities for city manager

When Brian Platt began his tenure as city manager of the City of Kansas City, Missouri, in December, 2020, the two most frequent complaints he heard were that Kansas City can’t plow the snow and that the city is full of potholes.

Platt discussed how he has addressed those concerns at last week’s luncheon of the KC Downtowners, just a few days after Kansas City experienced its largest snowfall in 32 years.

Soon after Platt arrived in Kansas City, it snowed.

“I remember getting on a snow plow with someone who had been doing it for 20 years. Big truck. We met up at the command center, and we got a truck and went to go get some salt from the salt dome. . . . We’re driving through the parking lot and I see a row of 10 or 20 trucks covered in snow. Snow plows. And I’m asking, what are we doing with those? I’m told we don’t usually have enough drivers, but we’ve got all these trucks. . . . We’re driving around, and I’m hearing these stories about how we don’t really pre-treat the roads before the storms. We just kind of do one pass through neighborhoods. Just check the box for each neighborhood was the approach. Just send a truck down one time at some point and call it a day,” said Platt.

Platt recognized right away that there are several easy ways to change the snow removal procedure. He had many conversations with city staff about ways to get more drivers and more trucks without spending any additional funds.

“We found 100 more drivers week one,” he said.

Those drivers were city employees like health inspectors, building inspectors, and garbage truck drivers who are not otherwise on the roads during snowstorms. In an organization with 4,500 employees, Platt said it was easy to find 100 employees who already drove for the city. In addition, the city’s vehicle fleet had many pickup trucks on which the city could install a plow on the front, remove the bed, and install a salt spreader on the back.

“So we did that. We found 100 drivers and 50 trucks without really having to do anything,” said Platt.

With more manpower and trucks, Platt said the city is much more aggressive when it comes to snow removal. Two days before the recent snowstorm began, the city pretreated the roads using a magnesium chloride salt, which is much more

effective to melt ice when the temperature drops below 20 degrees than the calcium chloride rock salt used by many other jurisdictions.

In addition, snow removal is a 24-hour operation, with drivers working 12-hour shifts from days before the storm starts until everything is clear. The snow is plowed curb to curb rather than a single path the width of the plow blade.

Platt said the city instituted a digital route mapping system. Each plow is equipped with a tablet, which allows the city staff and the drivers to track how much of the city has been plowed and where.

“We’ve got 6400 miles of streets to take care of. We have 103 routes . . . that’s 60 miles a route. . . . You might miss a cul de sac. You might not get curb to curb everywhere, . . . but we’re going after it,” he said.

Platt said every neighborhood has the same priority.

The city also is trying to rebuild its fleet, Platt said. The city has 300 trucks in its fleet and 400 drivers in its system. Many of those trucks are 2023 and 2024 pickup trucks that easily convert to snow plows. No commercial driver’s license is required to operate them. In fact, Platt himself, as well as other department heads, have been out on the streets plowing in city-owned pickup trucks.

“As city leaders, we have to listen to the people of the city. A lot of what we do involves just hearing people out. And people in the city want to be heard. . . . That’s customer service. That’s just what we’re all about now,” Platt said.

With respect to tackling street repair, Platt said the city has made tremendous improvements since he started as city manager. Kansas City is paving “exponentially more” than it ever has.

“Rather than putting band-aids on all these potholes, we’re building new streets. We’re just going to redo them. Inevitably, if you’ve got a lot of potholes, that means the street is failing. It’s just not in good condition anymore,” he said.

Last year, Kansas City rebuilt 519 miles of streets. In the past three and one-half years, Platt said the city has rebuilt 1500 miles, which is 25 percent of the city’s streets.

Platt said the city added $10 million to the budget last year to tackle sidewalk repairs.

Platt addressed measures the city is taking to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The city is focused on making Kansas City look great.

“We’re going to focus a lot on business districts and places we think people are going to be traversing. . . . We want to not go too crazy and spend too much money building a bunch of things that, after the three months of the World Cup, we just don’t have anything to do with, which happens in a lot of places. . . . We don’t want to waste our money, but thinking about what are those things that we’re going to do to make our city look nicer,” he said.

One idea the city is pursuing is making improvements to the secondary corridor between Downtown and the stadiums, adding safe mobility lanes for bikes and scooters. In addition, there are plans to transform Yvonne Starks Wilson Park into a destination park with some FIFA relevance like mini pitches for soccer.

Platt also addressed Kansas City’s “visionary project” of creating a park over Interstate 670—the South Loop park, which he projects to break ground perhaps in March. He also expects that at least two of the four sections of the project will be completed for use by the World Cup, but likely not the full park.

Platt does not foresee the city tackling the North Loop in the next 10 years because there still is adjacent land housing surface parking lots that can be developed.

“Why would we make land for billions of dollars when we already have land that’s available to develop? Once all those surface lots get developed and we need more land Downtown and there’s a demand for it, then we can spend the money and do it that way because there’s a need,” Platt said.

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Header Image: Brian Platt addresses a group at the January KC Downtowners luncheon. Image credit: Marcia Charney

2024 KCADC Annual Meeting highlights $1.8B of new investment across the region

The Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC) hosted its 2024 Annual Meeting last week, drawing over 2,000 civic and business leaders to celebrate a year of robust regional growth and strategic industry advancements. Under the theme “FLEX,” the event underscored the region’s adaptability as a cornerstone of its success. It highlighted achievements in the Kansas City metro area, including 18 counties across Kansas and Missouri.

Record-Breaking Investments and Job Creation

This year, KCADC and its partners secured commitments from 16 companies, resulting in $1.8 billion in capital investments, nearly 1,500 new jobs, $104.7 million in wages, and 2.3 million SF of new development. These milestones reflect Kansas City’s growing prominence as a hub for innovation and opportunity.

Google’s $1 billion data center in Kansas City, Mo., was among the most notable investments in 2024. Alongside its infrastructure project, Google committed to advancing sustainability by adding 400 megawatts of carbon-free energy to the grid. The company also demonstrated a strong community focus, contributing $100,000 to the North Kansas City School District’s STEM initiatives and announcing an additional $120,000 investment to strengthen STEM programs in Kansas City Public Schools.

Strengthening Global Recognition

Increased media attention has bolstered Kansas City’s growing reputation. Over 630 stories spotlight its economic wins and quality-of-life benefits, reaching an estimated 1.25 billion people globally and enhancing the region’s visibility on the international stage.

KCADC President and CEO Tim Cowden emphasized the importance of leveraging this momentum for future growth, attributing the success to a unified regional vision.

Keynote and Awards

Lisa Bodell, CEO of FutureThink and a best-selling author, delivered the keynote address, offering actionable insights into how simplification can drive efficiency and amplify impact. Her message resonated with attendees, providing tools to help businesses streamline operations and focus on meaningful work.

KCADC has also received accolades for its efforts to promote the region. The organization earned two gold medals from the International Economic Development Council, recognizing its KC Options Magazine and the “KC Design Draft” campaign for excellence in economic development marketing.

Building for the Future

As Kansas City continues to grow, leaders across industries remain focused on fostering a resilient and inclusive economy. From groundbreaking investments in infrastructure and education to enhanced global recognition, the region is poised for sustained success.

The KCADC Annual Meeting reinforced the importance of flexibility and collaboration in shaping the future, ensuring Kansas City remains a leader in innovation and a magnet for talent and investment.

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Header image: Board of Directors incoming co-chair and Evergy President/CEO, David Campbell speaks at the 2024 KCADC Annual Meeting. Image courtesy of the Kansas City Area Development Council