KC’s riverfront to transform into neighborhood with new apartments, restaurants. Here’s when
Kansas City’s riverfront is poised to transform into a full-fledged neighborhood over the next year and half or so with new mixed-use homes and businesses near the KC Current soccer stadium.
Officials with the KC Current, Palmer Square Real Estate Management, Marquee Development and Port KC are staging a groundbreaking Wednesday for the next phase of the team’s redevelopment of the Berkley Riverfront off the Missouri River north of downtown Kansas City. Crews have already been preparing the site to now go vertical.
This latest wave of development is expected to be complete ahead of the World Cup in summer 2026. It will include a new plaza, a riverfront promenade, about 430 new apartment units in two buildings and 48,000 square feet of retail space.
The Berkley Riverfront has already seen redevelopment in recent years with apartments, a new hotel and the opening in 2024 of CPKC Stadium, the first stadium in the world specifically built for a women’s sports team.
The new development comes as the streetcar is being extended to the riverfront, and a pedestrian path is being built from the River Market, both of which are expected to be complete in 2026.
“It’s not very often you get to change the face of women’s sports, to change the face of your city, and certainly to change the face of the riverfront as well,” said Chris Long, co-owner of the KC Current.
Long said the new multi-family housing is meant to bring people back to the riverfront and will come with amenities for residents. Ten percent of the units will be reserved for those making up to 50% of the area median income, which is $41,250 for a family of two in the Kansas City area, according to federal data.
The planned retail could include restaurants, bars and entertainment venues for music or comedy with a focus on local business. Further details are to be announced.
The development phase underway reflects about $200 million of private investment. Conversations are continuing about the next phase, a $500 million plan to bring a luxury hotel and office space. Details are to be announced about a $300 million third phase.
In total, redevelopment on the riverfront in the years to come will total $1 billion.
Developers say the work will reconnect Kansas City to its waterfront, create jobs and build a vibrant neighborhood while driving more people to the downtown region.
“From a city perspective, this will be something that, when people talk about, ‘Hey, I’m going to Kansas City,’ Kansas Citians will say, ‘Oh my gosh, well, you have to visit not only the Nelson and the Kauffman Center. You have to go down to the Berkley Riverfront and see that district,’” Long said.