City Manager Troy Schulte has sent a letter to the mayor and city council outlining how to spend the first $40 million in general obligation bonds Kansas City voters approved last month.
“We want to get the shovel-ready projects rolling, and we have to tackle the backlog of spot sidewalk repairs,” Schulte said in a statement. “I know council members are also anxious to get going, so this gives them a chance to review the list and provide us with the feedback we need to finalize the plan.”
Here’s what the city manager has proposed:
Question 1 – roads, bridges and sidewalks
- $6 million for sidewalk spot repairs in all six council districts
- $3.6 million to reconstruct streets, sidewalks and stormwater in the southwest quadrant of Beacon Hill
- $3.5 million for the Paseo Gateway project, with federal funding coming available in fiscal year 2019
- $3.4 million to reconstruct Wornall Road from 85th to 89th streets
- $2,250,000 for community infrastructure in the Marlborough neighborhood
- $1.7 million to complete the design and right-of-way acquisition for Maple Woods Parkway
- $1.2 million for realignment of 22nd and 23rd streets from Brooklyn to Benton, with additional funding coming from Public Improvements Advisory Committee funds
- $600,000 for the reconstruction of the Paseo Bridge over Brush Creek
- $300,000 to convert Central Street downtown from one-way to two-way
- $75,000 to study landslides along Beardsley Road
Question 2 – flood control
- $1.1 million for right-of-way acquisition for industrial flood control at Swope Park
Question 3 – public buildings and facilities
- $7 million for a new animal shelter at Elmwood and Gregory to open late next year, with another $7 million needed in fiscal year 2018
- $4 million for the reconstruction of the interior of Corinthian Hall at the Kansas City Museum
- $1.5 million to construct more than 300 sidewalk curb ramps in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- $1.1 million for renovations to make Starlight Theatre ADA-accessible
- $750,000 to make the elevators at City Hall fully ADA-compliant
- $750,000 to repair the Spirit of Freedom Fountain at Cleaver and Benton Boulevards
- $750,000 to repair the Delbert Haff Fountain on East Meyer Boulevard
Voters approved the $800 million comprehensive capital improvements program April 4.
Elle Moxley covers Missouri schools and politics for KCUR. You can reach her on Twitter @ellemoxley.
