Businesses edging in on ‘other side of track’ in Lee’s Summit

For Kelly Lankford, the “other side of the tracks” is proving to be good for business. Lankford has recently expanded her KHL Design business to include a retail operation called Inspo.

Lankford’s design studio has been in Downtown Lee’s Summit for about six years and at its 12 Southwest Third Street location for four years.

That location is separated slightly from the rest of Downtown Lee’s Summit by the railroad tracks. The area has seen recent renovation and expansion.

“In the last six years, I’ve seen a lot of changes,” Lankford said. “I feel like the other side of the tracks has been coming up and getting restaurants and boutiques and offices. It’s really changed in the last year.”

The market for the products Inspo offers also has changed in the Kansas City area, Lankford said. She noted that about 10 years ago, when Nebraska Furniture Mart came to the area, many local furniture stores closed.

She feels the time is right for customers to find broader options from local retailers.

“After going to all these markets and curating our clients’ homes, we felt like those items should be available to a broader market. We will collect unique goods you can’t find in those other stores.”

Donnie Rodgers, the executive director of Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, says the opening of Inspo and other retail and restaurants on the west side of the railroad tracks is a sign of the natural progression of success for the area.

“Downtown is pretty small, so it’s one of those things, as we see development happen — it’s natural that we will continue to see development grow in that direction,” Rodgers said, adding that he expects next year’s growth to be even stronger.

Rodgers points out the advantage of major building renovations that go along with new businesses opening. The Local Foundery, which opened west of the tracks in April 2019, went through a major building renovation to operate. ReeceNichols is currently making an investment to property on the south side of Main Street to open offices in spring of 2020.

While the GOT Art Gallery formerly operated by Summit Art closed over the summer, the owner of Very Violet decided to take over the space and open a new vendor-inspired store called Ivy & Sparrow this fall.

“These major investments going in are a lot about the confidence people have in the direction downtown is going,” Rodgers said.

For Lankford, the expansion into retail is a fulfillment of a dream inspired by a studio she worked at in Sacramento, California. That store offered modern lighting for sale in the front of its design studio.

“It was a blurred line between retail, good design and their design projects. I have always admired that unique concept,” Lankford said.

Inspo will primarily offer modern and mid-century inspired brands of décor and furniture Lankford has collected and used with design clients. The store also will offer the work of local artists. Currently, the store is featuring the work of artist Hollie Stuhlman.

The opening of Inspo means a bigger staff for Lankford, who will still operate the design studio.

Lankford agrees with Rodgers that the direction of Downtown Lee’s Summit is positive for local merchants.

“I can’t say enough about the people down here,” she said. “It is a great community of business owners. We are all small business owners and we help each other out.”

Inspo is currently open during high customer traffic hours, which include noon to 5 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, or by appointment.