Northeast News
January 7, 2014

As the new year gets under way, this news-dog would like to take a moment to reflect on what has been a stellar year in terms of achievements for the Historic Northeast as a community. The Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood teamed up with KaBOOM! and the city’s Parks and Recreation Department to secure funds for and build a brand new playground at Concourse Park on the site of the old basketball courts. The same day as the playground build, The Historic Northeast Kansas City Historical Society hosted their Historic Homes Tour, netting some of the biggest attendance numbers HNE has seen in many a year.

In another first, in September the Pendleton Heights Neighborhood celebrated their Better Block KC award which spotlighted just how an urban neighborhood can look with some foresight given to design and walkability and sustainability, this on top of their being named one of the best neighborhoods in the Midwest to live in by Old House Journal Magazine. From a business standpoint, The Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and the Independence Avenue CID welcomed a number of new businesses along the Independence Avenue corridor including a new, $1.5 million Advance Auto Parts development at Independence and Chestnut that replaced two blighted vacant lots in the process.

Down in the Lykins neighborhood, the Urban Farming Guys are hard at it too, making some pretty sizable improvements in their community in the 12th and Bales area. All of this points to one thing: Historic Northeast is back on the upswing. Neighborhoods and businesses are continuing to work together to not just make change, but create lasting betterment community. To that, this crusty old news dog would like to say salute!