The Imporve I-70 KC Project is underway and set to bolster development opportunities

Work has started on the Improve I-70 KC project, a $237 million initiative aimed at reshaping a heavily traveled corridor through the city. The improvements are expected to ease congestion, enhance freight mobility, and create ripple effects across Kansas City’s commercial real estate market.

The Missouri Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, is leading the design-build project. Construction will stretch between The Paseo Boulevard and the U.S. 40/31st Street interchange and continue through spring 2028. Plans include adding an additional eastbound lane, replacing 15 bridges, rehabilitating seven others, and realigning multiple interchanges to improve safety and traffic capacity.

Because I-70 serves as a key freight artery, industry observers note that more reliable travel will increase the appeal of warehouse, logistics, and industrial properties near the corridor. Retail and mixed-use developers are also watching the project closely, as upgraded interchanges and pedestrian improvements could spark redevelopment and attract new investment.

The project will be carried out by Clarkson-Radmacher Joint Venture, which was awarded the design-build contract in 2024. It is part of a larger statewide program to modernize nearly 200 miles of I-70 by 2030, underscoring Missouri’s long-term commitment to infrastructure and economic growth.

For commercial real estate professionals, the construction may bring short-term challenges, but the long-term outlook is widely seen as positive. Improved access, stronger freight efficiency, and renewed infrastructure are expected to drive property value gains and open doors for new development along the corridor. As Kansas City positions itself for continued growth, the I-70 project stands as both a transportation upgrade and an investment in the region’s commercial future.

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Header image: Aerial view of the I-70 and I-435 interchange on the east side of Kansas City, Mo. Image | MODot

Kansas City Streetcar Expands Toward UMKC and the Riverfront

Kansas City’s streetcar system is entering a new phase of growth, with extensions moving forward both south toward the University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC) and north to the Missouri River. Together, the projects represent a significant investment in transit and urban development, transforming how residents, students, and visitors navigate the city.

The Main Street extension will add 3.5 miles of track and 16 new stops stretching from Union Station to UMKC. Construction, which began in 2022, is nearing completion and includes a Plaza transit hub to enhance connectivity between regional routes. The expansion, backed by $352 million in local and federal funding, is scheduled to open Oct. 24. Streetcar officials have already begun running full-scale tests of the system to prepare for the launch.

To the north, a separate 0.7-mile extension is advancing from the River Market to Berkley Riverfront, an area slated for new housing, offices, and entertainment venues. Track installation and bridge work have been completed, and station shelters are in place. Service to the riverfront is expected to begin in early 2026, supported in part by federal funding for infrastructure improvements that will enhance pedestrian and transit access.

The expansions build on the success of the original downtown streetcar line, which spurred billions in nearby development within just a few years of opening. City leaders and project partners say the new connections will further drive investment, particularly around the Country Club Plaza, UMKC, and the riverfront. As Kansas City continues to grow, the streetcar is being positioned as a central piece of its economic strategy, linking key neighborhoods while attracting commercial growth along the line.

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Header image: A conceptual rendering of a new KC Streetcar terminal at UMKC set to open next later this year. Image | KC Streetcar

Twin Creeks Village infrastructure breaks ground

The North Platte Purchase Drive, Line Creek Parkway, and North Tiffany Springs Road improvements broke ground yesterday in Kansas City, MO.

McClure, MD Management, Superior Bowen, and the City of Kansas City are working together to complete an infrastructure project that will open up the adjacent ground for development opportunities within the Twin Creeks Village area.

“With today’s transportation infrastructure groundbreaking, the City of Kansas City, Missouri will see opportunities for growth in population, property tax base, and sales tax,” said Alicia Stephens, executive director of the Platte County EDC.

“Our Northland TIF’s do exactly what is intended—fund our infrastructure," Stephens said.

The project, led by MD Management, consists of an extension of Line Creek Parkway and Tiffany Springs Road, North Platte Purchase Drive improvements and sanitary sewer extensions throughout the area. These improvements will facilitate the development of a new sports complex, future development of Platte County R-3 School District facilities, as well as new commercial and residential development areas.

"This project has been a long time coming, and it’s good to finally see it kick-off,” said Councilman Dan Fowler. “I’m very excited about the opportunities it will bring, not only to the Northland, but to the entire city,” Fowler added.

“Today, we are taking steps to bring positive enhancements to this community,” said Erika Feingold, VP of MD Management. “We are fortunate to be able to form a productive public/private partnership with the City to produce an area that will be home to educational, recreational, and commercial endeavors,” Feingold said.

This is the first step towards the full realization of the Twin Creeks Plan, the largest planned growth area in Kansas City.

Superior Bowen paves way for growth and diversification with new HQ, hires

Superior Bowen is capping off its 70th year with new Crossroads digs and a flurry of projects in the pipeline.

The third-generation asphalt and paving contractor is growing its SiteWorks portfolio, recently winning contracts for Metro North Mall’s redevelopment and Johnson County’s new Indian Creek Library, while building its bread-and-butter business of large paving projects such as the Ford Claycomo Assembly Plant and Cerner Corporation's Innovations Campus.

“We’ve been incredibly busy and continue to diversify into business ventures necessitated by expansion and growth,” said Brian Johanning, Superior Bowen vice president of business development. “We are continuing to beef up our corporate resources and strengthen our foundation for growth.”

Superior Bowen doubled its footprint when it consolidated operations into a 30,000 square feet office in the historically renovated McQueeny Lock Building, 520 W. Pennway. Previously, staff had been cobbled together in a workshop and three mobile trailers adjacent to one of the company’s six asphalt plants at Manchester Trafficway and I-70.

The makeshift campus embodied Superior Bowen’s trademark grittiness and offered clients an up-close view of the plant and equipment, but Owner Trey Bowen recognized that the company needed a change of scenery to grow. After searching unsuccessfully in the West Bottoms for new digs with plentiful parking, Bowen opted to join Centric Projects and Inspired Homes in the century-old brick building.

“When it came to recruiting and retaining the next generation of talent, we needed to be where that talent wanted to be, and that is here in the Crossroads,” Bowen said. “This is an established, vibrant area.”

Superior Bowen also added four positions to its leadership team in 2018, hiring new vice presidents of marketing, human resources and business development, as well as a new safety director. Each hire is more than just an employee; they’re an investment in Superior Bowen’s future.

“When people come here, they don’t leave. During the Great Recession, nobody was laid off,” Bowen added. “We have room to grow here, which is purposeful.”

Patience, perseverance paves path for Prairie Village fire station project

A long-awaited, new 15,000-square foot fire station in Prairie Village is on target for a spring delivery, with HarenLaughlin Construction wrapping up metal stud framing and interior masonry work this month. Up next: pouring the station's mezzanine and installing its exterior brick veneer.

But the biggest challenge of the $6 million project took place in the site selection and pre-construction phase, which began in 2012. Finding "available dirt" took several years, and then once a workable site behind Mission Road Bible Church  at 78th and Mission Road was identified, all parties had to work together to ensure traffic flow to the church.

"This is a unique location, and it's been a large, arduous task to get it approved," said Cory Davison, HarenLaughlin project manager. "There's been lots of coordination with the church and a juggling act to make sure they have parking on Sundays and can keep their facility open during construction."

The new station will include three bays and the ability to house nine firefighters at a time. It also offers Consolidated Fire District No. 2 a more central location in the heart of Prairie Village, allowing for quicker emergency response times, according to Fire Chief Tony Lopez. 

"There's been some real head rubbing on this project and sometimes we didn't think we would ever strike a deal. It's been a long process, with a lot of starts and stops," Lopez said. "But now things are really moving along nicely."

The station was designed by Archimages, Inc., with Newmark Grubb Zimmer representing the owner and providing brokerage services in the transaction.