Troost Avenue

Despite years of organizing and more than 12,000 petition signatures, Mayor Quinton Lucas placed a hold this week on an ordinance that would rename Troost Avenue to “Truth Avenue.” The street is named after Dr. Benoist Troost, Kansas City's first physician and a known slaveowner.

Troost Avenue is one of Kansas City's major thoroughfares, running north from Columbus Park down to Bannister Road. You'll find plenty of options for coffee and ice cream, Jamaican and Caribbean fare, Mexican cuisine and bakeries.

Kansas City is asking voters to buy into its public school system for the first time in nearly 60 years. Even after Kansas City Public Schools regained accreditation and turned the tide of student performance, crumbling buildings offer a persistent reminder of the city's disinvestment. It's a relationship strained by decades of racism, a history-making desegregation case and plenty of internal turmoil.

Several new coffee shops are building out spaces in a block that already includes Blackhole Bakery, High Hopes Ice Cream and The Littlest Bake Shop. "Hopefully, the more the merrier," one owner says.

Owner Zach Moores purchased two buildings on Troost Avenue that will be used as a production area and community gathering space. He first opened the coffee shop next to UMKC in 2014.

The city will hire a consultant to decide how to best improve its deadliest streets. It will also apply for a federal grant to redo the majority of Troost Avenue.

Most of Kansas City’s four-lane roads are too fast and too empty. The Kansas City Council decided to slim down a batch of 28 roads the next time they’re repaved to make them safer.

Constructed around 1940, the space at 3740 Troost Ave. was one of Kansas City's first purpose-built structures for grocery store giant Safeway. Developers plant to turn it into a business complex that will be "positive for the neighborhood."

Yes, pharmacies fill prescriptions, administer tests and give vaccines. But they also fill a vital role in the health care ecosystem, offering medical advice and care when doctors aren’t available. When pharmacies shut down, that care disappears.

Thelma’s Kitchen and Reconciliation Services will be reopening on 31st and Troost Avenue next week after being closed for more than two years of renovations. The cafe, which serves healthy comfort food, operates on a pay-what-you-can donation model to help feed the community.

Nearly 200 people died in Kansas City car crashes in 2022 and 2023. The numbers suggest that high speeds and intersections, particularly on Truman Road, pose the greatest danger.

For two years, business owners on Troost Avenue have campaigned for Kansas City to rename the street. That effort is now stalled in the city council.