development

Located just north of the Missouri River, North Kansas City has grown by more than 20% since 2020. Mayor Jesse Smith says it’s time to make updates while maintaining the community’s “small-town feel.”

The public agency voted to issue nearly $1.5 billion in bonds and tax breaks to Gillon Property Group early this week. Jon Stephens, the president and CEO of Port KC, says the deal is critical to the revitalization of the historic Plaza neighborhood.

The 11-page "community impact partnership agreement" commits at least $55 million to Kansas City over 30 years — approximately 9 cents back for every dollar the city is investing. Here’s what the public gets and how it compares to other deals.

Port KC’s Board of Commissioners approved an economic development package for Dallas-based Gillon Property Group’s plan to revitalize the historic Country Club Plaza. The leader of Kansas City Public Schools says the deal fails to meet their needs.

The city council approved a plan to repeal the city’s 45-year-old Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Program after a lawsuit from Missouri’s attorney general alleged discrimination against white men. Business owners want input on the new small-business program meant to replace it.

The Kansas City Plan Commission unanimously blocked a motion for a 384-foot data center on top of a historic building in the Quality Hill neighborhood. Community groups want a total ban on future data centers.

A Miami-based developer submitted a proposal to replace a historic building in downtown Kansas City with a 20-story data center. Then they worked with a Georgia-based organization to attach a preservation easement on the building. Residents worry it’s a fishy way to win tax incentives.

After opening this spring, the Rock Island Bridge development over the Kansas River welcomed scores of soccer fans for World Cup watch parties. The development is planning to host more festivals, public art, expanded historical programming and new retail opportunities.

The city will negotiate a deal with the team, which will give hundreds of millions in incentives so the Current can further develop the riverfront.

The Mission Gateway site at the intersection of Shawnee Mission Parkway and Johnson Drive has sat largely vacant for two decades. While it's unclear how long it might take for the private property get redeveloped, Mission Mayor Sollie Flora says the city's government is "making it a focus."

The expansion at the hospital’s downtown campus would increase capacity by 25-30%, Children’s Mercy leaders say. The investment will help make more room for pediatric and neonatal intensive care units, increasingly complex surgical procedures and more.

In the 1950s, approximately 78,000 people lived in Kansas City’s midtown neighborhoods, which span roughly Crown Center to the Plaza and State Line Road to Troost Avenue. Two urban design experts will discuss what’s changing and what it means for residents Wednesday as a part of KC Design Week.