New townhome project could transform south Kansas City blocks. Some neighbors are skeptical

A planned project could replace vacant houses and a former assisted living site with nearly 175 new homes in south Kansas City near Minor Park.

IronDoor Development has proposed redeveloping about 17 acres of the Red Bridge area between Holmes Road, Campbell Street, East 115th Street and East 117th Street, with a mix of single-family houses, duplexes and four-unit townhomes. The developers bought up most of the properties on the block in recent years.

City leaders see the project as a way to add density and more housing – including multi-family options – to a part of the city that needs it. But some neighbors and homeowners holding out aren’t so sure.

The new units could help fill in the city’s so-called “missing middle,” or medium-density housing that is neither large-scale apartments nor all single-family. Kansas City lost over 1,100 two-unit structures from 2000 to 2019 and gained just 454 three- or four-unit buildings, according to a University of Missouri-Kansas City study.

The new homes, built with brick, would fall under a private homeowners’ association and be for sale: A single-family home could go for around $400,000, while an attached home could go for around $300,000, depending on the size.

Plans also show a pool, garages facing private alleys, open space, an extra through street, stormwater detention ponds and new landscaping. Turn lanes would be added along Holmes Road, while new sidewalks would go around the development.

The city’s planning commission voted to recommend a rezoning for the development in November, and city staff have continued to review plans, records show.

According to information presented to the planning commission, phased construction could begin in spring 2025 and take about three years to fully build out, pending further city approvals. Developers have held multiple informational meetings with neighborhood residents ahead of final approvals.

Planning commissioners said the project was well thought-out and fits the scale of the neighborhood.

“It’s tough to add density in different parts of the city, and this seems like a good way of doing so,” planning commissioner Tyler Enders said in November.

Developer Parker New of IronDoor could not be reached for comment.

Lingering opposition

Plans show a few nubs of property that prevent the future development from occupying the full block. They belong to owners who opted not to sell to the developers and will remain in their own homes as new ones spring up around them.

One of those holdouts is Deborah Anderson.

“I like my house. It’s paid off. I don’t want to move,” she told the Star. “I have a dog and four cats that have only known this location. I’m afraid if I move the cats any place, they’ll try to find their way home.”

Anderson said moving is a lot of work and comes with its own new expenses. She said she knows the city needs more housing and is not opposed to redevelopment, but she would prefer less density — perhaps a new set of single-family starter homes at an affordable price for first-time buyers.

She echoed concerns from other area residents about the right fit and scale for the existing neighborhood, increased traffic and old trees getting knocked down for the construction.

Residents on the 116th Street cul-de-sac across the street from the proposed development signed a petition that asks that the plans include more of a buffer from surrounding residents along lower-density stretches with more single-family homes, versus the proposed full set of four-plexes.

“If the developer were to change 6 four-plexes into single-family homes, they would still have 33 four-plex buildings (or 132 multi-family units),” the petition says. They will still stand to make a profit from this project. It is possible to build this development without it being egregious to existing neighborhoods.”