Kansas City, Missouri – Kansas City officials recently took a guided tour of the Central City, stopping at several notable projects that were paid for by the Central City Economic Development (CCED) sales tax. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and other city personnel explained how areas are changing via targeted investment and community-driven development.
The tour was another big step forward for the CCED program, which was made possible by the 1/8 percent sales tax that voters approved in 2017. The initiative has been a key driver of housing and mixed-use construction in the district, which operates from 9th Street in the north to Gregory Boulevard in the south and from Indiana Avenue to Paseo Boulevard. CCED has spent $41.2 million on 29 distinct projects over the past seven years. These projects have added thousands of housing units and brought in tens of millions of dollars in new investment.
Local leaders got to see three of these important projects up close on Friday’s bus tour. The MOCSA Building at 6500 Euclid Avenue was the first stop on the list. The CCED fund gave this project $1 million to make improvements that will allow it to offer more services for preventing and treating sexual assault. This is an example of how economic development and important community services may work together.
The gathering then went to Neyan’s Place, which is at 1410 E 30th Street. As part of a larger effort to meet housing needs and keep neighborhoods stable in the long term, $385,000 in CCED money have gone toward fixing up six affordable housing units. The last stop on the tour was 2000 Vine Street, a historic building that is being redesigned with the support of $950,000 in funding. When completed, the space will have office suites, event spaces, an art gallery, and a street-level cafe. It will be a lively place for both business and community events.
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The morning ended with a lunch gathering at 2000 Vine Street, where people could talk about the projects, hear from local partners, and think about how the program was growing.
In addition to the project tour, Mayor Lucas announced the appointment of Dan Cranshaw as the new chair of the CCED Sales Tax Board. Cranshaw, who operates the KC Health Collaborative, has a long history of working to make community health better for all. He is known for being able to bring individuals together from different fields. Leaders in the city and community groups are both hopeful about his role in determining the next stage of growth.
Cranshaw said he is excited to assist Kansas City become a more prosperous place for everyone. He stated that his new job lets him strive for “equitable prosperity for everyone who calls KC home.” Mayor Lucas agreed, saying that Cranshaw’s legal knowledge and passion for fairness would be great assets for the board.
The city has scheduled other bus excursions for various housing and development programs over the summer. This is part of the effort to keep locals informed and involved as the revitalization moves forward.
