Vertical neighborhood to bring affordable housing to Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City-area development group has a bold vision for the future of downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
As first reported by the Kansas City Business Journal, it’s planning a 20-plus story, $100 million vertical, mixed-use neighborhood at 10th and Main streets.
It would house people of all different incomes with food, retail, and a transportation hub below.
Brien Starner, president of Live Ride KC Partners, says downtown is lacking affordable housing.
“The concept is unique,” Starner said. “There’s nothing else like it in our marketplace.”
Starner says the groups involved are Live Ride KC Partners, Edgemoor, Parson and Associates, Community Builders KC, Gould Evans, and KCATA and RideKC.
“We think the neighborhood is inclusive for everyone, and so we want to make sure that everyone feels apart of the downtown boom that’s occurring,” said Emmet Pierson, Jr. of Community Builders KC. “Downtown needs more affordable housing, more mixed income housing.”
The plan is for 170 to 240 residential units, priced from market value to 120-percent of median income, 70-percent, and 30-percent.
The potential affordability is enticing to Peyton Hughes, who lives and works downtown.
“I feel like when you go to the [Country Club] Plaza that’s the only retail you really see,” Hughes said. “There’s a couple boutiques down here, but we need more retail areas.”
Since the Kansas City Area Transit Authority and RideKC are behind this, they want its opening to coincide with the streetcar expansion.
“We have a lot of people particularly of Jackson County, 50-percent of the workforce are women, and of that 50%, 43% are single head of household,” Starner said. “So, for those women who are working downtown to have access to a place where they can live and both work in close proximity, it is a huge benefit to them and their family.”
The plan is to break ground early next year and open 16 months later.
“I love that,” Hughes said. “More people downtown, that would be good.”
