From 18th & Vine to the riverfront, major developments are reshaping Kansas City
Kansas City is in the midst of a major makeover, with construction reshaping areas such as 18th & Vine, Barney Allis Plaza and Berkley Riverfront Park.
More development could be on the way, including a potential downtown Royals stadium at Crown Center. Here’s a look at some of the key projects changing the city.
Riverfront reinvention
Once a neglected dumping ground, Berkley Riverfront has been transformed into one of Kansas City’s premier housing and entertainment destinations.
The area is now in Phase I of a 10-year, $1 billion mixed-use development led by Chris and Angie Long, principal owners of the KC Current.
Construction is underway on 433 apartments, new parks and 55,000 square feet of commercial space, including Current Landing — a shopping, entertainment and residential district designed to bring Kansas Citians closer to the waterfront.
West of CPKC Stadium, the streetcar extension is scheduled to open on May 18, a pedestrian bridge recently opened and work continues on the second CORE apartment building.
18th & Vine transformation
A new pedestrian mall on 18th Street is nearing completion, with a ribbon-cutting set for May 27. The renovated Boone Theater reopened May 1 as an arts hub, and a new public parking garage is close to opening.
At Parade Park Homes, demolition is underway ahead of a mixed-income redevelopment that will bring more than 1,000 new homes. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and American Jazz Museum are also moving forward with expansion plans.
The Parker, named for jazz legend Charlie Parker, will add new apartments while restoring the historic House of Hits building.
Other projects in the greater 18th and Vine area include:
- Blues Park: Adding a new outdoor roller-skating rink and restroom
- Paseo Boulevard: Sidewalk and street improvements
- Washington-Wheatley neighborhood: About $500,000 in street, sidewalk and mobility upgrades, including resurfacing, ADA improvements, and new sidewalks and curbs
Barney Allis Plaza remake
Construction is underway on the city’s $118 million remake of Barney Allis Plaza in downtown Kansas City. The project includes replacing the old garage with a new underground parking structure and modern park above.
The city had announced that the downtown block’s transformation “aimed to be completed in the summer of 2026,” releasing renderings depicting the area as a hub of FIFA World Cup celebrations. But the builders say that pre-tournament timeline was never in the cards.
What you can expect in the remake:
Northwest corner: A 2,000-square-foot pavilion beneath a 4,000-square-foot shade canopy, with food and drink service, a dog park, play area and flexible event space. In winter, the area could become a pop-up ice rink.
South end: A large events lawn could host farmers’ markets, concerts and other gatherings, with 13th Street able to close so the lawn can function like an amphitheater.
Public art: A $2.18 million installation by Belgian artists Gijs Van Vaerenbergh will feature ghost-like steel structures inspired by the 1899 Convention Hall that once stood on the site.
West Bottoms redevelopment
SomeraRoad’s West Bottoms project would remake a large section of the formerly industrial neighborhood over five phases, covering 21 acres and 29 properties.
The redevelopment area forms a rough triangle bordered by the 12th Street viaduct, Union Pacific Railroad tracks, Santa Fe Street and Liberty Street.
When complete, developers envision a mixed-use urban district with retail shops, offices and about 1,200 apartments, built through both new construction and the reuse of historic buildings.
The project also includes a new public park and the renovation of the 122-year-old Avery Building at 1100 Santa Fe St. into a 40-room luxury hotel.
The full build out of the project could take 10 to 15 years.
Curbing floods in Westport
Mill Street in Westport, a low-lying area of the historic neighborhood, has flooded many times over the years.
To mitigate that flooding, KC Water is overhauling the stormwater system by constructing two massive stormwater reservoirs under Mill Street that can hold up to 3.5 million gallons of water.
Residents almost certainly noticed the 19-foot deep hole in the SunFresh parking lot that appeared in January.
The construction is being done in phases, with work pausing during the World Cup. Mill Street and parts of Westport Road will ultimately be rebuilt with better drainage, permeable pavers and added green space to help capture and absorb stormwater below the surface.
Royals downtown stadium
On April 22, the Royals announced plans to move to Crown Center, an 85-acre mixed-use district near downtown Kansas City, as part of a partnership with Hallmark Cards.
The team said it plans to build a roughly $1.9 billion ballpark as part of a larger $3 billion redevelopment at Hallmark’s Crown Center headquarters.
Many details remain unclear, including the stadium’s exact footprint, timeline and funding plan, meaning the project is still likely years away.
Roy Blunt Luminary Park
The project would cap Interstate 670 between Wyandotte Street and Grand Boulevard, turning that stretch of highway into a tunnel with a park above it.
It would reconnect downtown with the Crossroads, midtown and surrounding neighborhoods decades after highway construction cut through the urban core.
The park will be named after former U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, who helped snag federal funds for the $315 million project.
First announced in 2022, the project moved into final design last fall. Utility relocation has already begun, and the City Council is expected to vote later on whether to approve the start of construction, possibly in July.
A parkway plan for U.S. 71
City officials have proposed a “Parkway Alternative” for U.S. 71 between 85th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
The project known as “Reconnecting the East Side” intends to improve the roadway, also known as Bruce R. Watkins Drive, while reconnecting predominantly Black neighborhoods that were torn apart by the highway’s construction decades ago. I
The plan would bring the northbound and southbound lanes closer together, creating a narrower highway footprint and moving traffic farther from nearby homes and businesses.
New bridges and surface streets would reconnect neighborhoods across the highway, while more than 150 feet of buffer space and green space would be added along the outside edges.
The project is still in the early planning stages.
16th & Broadway redevelopment
A development team that includes EPC Real Estate Group plans to remake about 4 acres near 16th Street and Broadway Boulevard, across from the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. The Crossroads redevelopment project is currently estimated to cost at least $440 million.
The site, now made up mostly of vacant buildings, would become a major mixed-use development with:
32-story apartment tower: New residential units near downtown and the arts district.
15-story luxury hotel: A new hotel serving visitors near the Kauffman Center and Crossroads.
11-story office building: Designed for a corporate headquarters.
Parking and retail: The project would also include parking garages and ground-floor retail space, possibly for a restaurant and cafe.
Construction could continue through 2030.
