By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
January 7, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Something residents in the River Market area have wanted for years might finally come to fruition in 2015.

The River Market Community Improvement District, in partnership with a residential community association, recently laid the groundwork for an area dog park, to be located between Fourth and Locust street, immediately west of Missouri 9 Hwy., and south of the Cold Storage Lofts. Mark Rowlands, director of the downtown and River Market community improvement districts, said the CID has been able to lease the one acre property from its owners, the Missouri Department of Transportation. He said MoDot wasn’t using the land and has made it available to them.

To help raise funds for the park, Rowlands said a crowdfunding campaign has since been established.

“This is something that’s been in the works for about four years,” Rowlands said, adding that getting it to its latest phase was the hardest part. “Since it’s MoDot’s property, we had to jump through a lot of hoops.”

Several businesses and donors have already pledged $15,000 for construction of the park. However, Rowlands said the crowdfunding site has been established because they need to raise an additional $15,000 match. The deadline on the site is February, but he said that can be pushed back if they need more time.

“We’ve gotten a lot of positive responses, not just from residents, but from potential corporate sponsors,” Rowlands said. “This is something that’s sorely needed. There haven’t been any negative comments.”

The park would include a six-foot fence, two safety gates, trash cans and picnic tables. There are additional phases for the park, Rowlands said, but those would come later after the initial stages are complete. One idea, if they can get MoDot’s permission, would be to include drinking fountains for the owners and pets.

The recent push, Rowlands said, has come from the surge in residents living in the River Market area. With around 95 percent of housing occupied, many of the residents have pets. And many don’t have a lot of options on where they can take them. So he’s helping make the push for a safe, convenient dog park in the River Market area.

“We are thrilled about the West Terrace Park plan, and that’s a much bigger park and project than what we’re trying to accomplish,” Rowlands said, adding for owners of one of the largest residential buildings in the River Market area, the Cold Storage Lofts, their park would be more convenient.

Ideally, Rowlands said, they’d like to break ground in the spring and open the park by the summer. Once opened, the River Market CID would manage upkeep of the park. Those interested in donating can do so at donate.neighbor.ly/projects/rivermarket-off-leash-area.