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City and state officials line up to cut the ribbon to celebrate the myriad of improvements made to Front Street. Photos by Tessa Belcher

By Tessa Belcher
Northeast News
July 7, 2011

Kansas City Riverfest carnival rides and large white tents full of food and music appropriately coexisted next to the ribbon cutting and celebration for the Front Street extension project on Friday, July 1.

LED lights, landscaping with native plants, bicycle trails, sustainable storm water infrastructure and a four-lane roadway include some of the improvements made for Front Street.

This area was once used to dump waste but with this project, has gone from being environmentally wasteful to a sustainable and ideal go green project.

“This is an example of how we can be dumb and then try to undo our dumbness,” Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver said.

The Port Authority, Missouri Department of Transportation and the City of Kansas City worked together on this environmentally aware project, and Parks and Recreation will maintain it as part of their parks and boulevards.

This $4.3 million project is a strong example of the go green projects that will hopefully be done all over the city, said Mayor Sly James.

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City of Kansas City Council member Jan Marcason bestows Mayor Sly James with a fancy bow..
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City of Kansas City Council member Scott Wagner addresses the crowd.