Mayor Sly James presented Ollie Gates with the 2016 EDCKC Cornerstone Lifetime Achievement Award on May 11, 2016, at Union Station.
The Economic Development Council of Kansas City recognized a slew of real estate projects and developers that have made an impact on communities throughout the region. The full list of award winners can be found here, but four extra awards were announced Wednesday evening.
The People's Choice winner, selected by way of public vote, went to the Martin City Community Improvement District. The 135th Street redevelopment contributes significant tax revenue to the corridor.
The top award for innovation went to LaunchCode, LaunchKC, the Smart City Advisory Board, TechWeek, and Think Big Partners. And finally, the Made in Kansas City award honored Baldwin Denim & Collection, Charlie Hustle Clothing Co., J Rieger & Co., and Niall Luxury.
Finally, the EDC honored the Ollie Gates, founder of a Kansas City staple - Gates Barbecue - for his contribution to Kansas City and for being a "tireless advocate for the community."
"It was an honor to recognize Ollie Gates with our Lifetime Achievement Award for all he has done for our city," said EDC President and CEO Bob Langenkamp."We were especially pleased to engage the public in our program by inviting their vote to select the inaugural People's Choice Award from among the ten Cornerstone award winners. All the Cornerstone winners are to be celebrated for contributing to the economic livelihood of Kansas City, Missouri."