Focus on three good ways to revive the East Side and the Northeast area

Time isn’t a friend of redevelopment on Kansas City’s East Side and in the Northeast area. The longer it takes to tear down an abandoned house, build a new retail store or pour new sidewalks, the more people get discouraged about living or investing in aging parts of the city.

Mayor Sly James and a City Council filled with new members now face a huge challenge: How can they most effectively deal with decades of decay and abandonment of urban core neighborhoods?

Everyone says the right things. James wants his second term to focus a great deal on redevelopment east of Troost Avenue. Council members including Quinton Lucas, Alissia Canady, Scott Taylor and Jermaine Reed have emphasized the importance of revitalization.

But what’s really going to be accomplished? Here are a few ways to make progress.

▪ Build on current strengths.

In recent years, the city and community partners have made notable progress in upgrading the appearance of Independence Avenue and public safety along it. The city should intently work to extend infrastructure improvements radiating out from the avenue in the Northeast area, so residents benefit from better curbs and sidewalks. Police patrols need to be constant with officers emphasizing they are there to root out criminals who imperil the community.

Other encouraging work includes new housing along Troost Avenue close to the University of Missouri — Kansas City School of Medicine, as well as construction of the soon-to-be-finished East Side Patrol Station and crime lab near 27th Street and Prospect Avenue.

City officials have long claimed that this massive investment in public safety buildings would lead to healthier neighborhoods. But that’s not going to happen magically. The city must make a concentrated effort to tear down nearby vacant structures and work with local residents as well as landlords to maintain remaining properties. And this is an area where it’s all right to liberally use tax incentives to woo small businesses.

▪ Use allies wisely.

The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is backing a “Big 5” goal called the Urban Neighborhood Initiative. Its laudable goals are to improve education, the job market and public safety in dozens of blocks within a defined East Side area. Supporters recently promoted plans to start a charter school that could provide top-notch education.

City officials need to work with the chamber to make sure the programs it’s supporting are sensible long-term ways to renew neighborhoods.

▪ Improve public transit.

In a discouraging outcome in 2014, the big push to extend the city’s streetcar line from downtown into the Northeast area and the East Side was turned down by voters in the very areas where the streetcar would have brought needed redevelopment.

On a more upbeat note, city and transportation officials are pursuing federal funds to help bring a MAX line to Prospect Avenue. A quicker-moving bus with fewer stops could help boost ridership on a key East Side street. Bus lines that run east-west and connect to the MAX route also could become busier, carrying people to jobs and schools.

In the last few weeks, the new City Council has approved development plans such as rehabbing 300-plus housing units at Green Village near 17th and Topping streets. Taylor says he will make sure the council’s economic development committee he leads will intently look for good projects it can support and publicize.

That’s a good idea. As victories occur, City Hall will need to get the word out that positive changes are occurring.

If they can happen on a bigger scale than in the past — through solid planning and efficient use of tax revenue — thousands of people who live in that part of Kansas City will be the real winners.

This story was originally published September 13, 2015 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Focus on three good ways to revive the East Side and the Northeast area."