Dorri Partain
Managing Editor

Representatives from University Health, Missouri Department of Mental Health and Office of Administration joined House of Representatives District 19 Legislator Wick Thomas for a panel discussion at the Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce (2657 Independence Blvd.) on March 18 to address resident concerns regarding the construction of a new state mental facility.
Multiple partners are involved in this project, first announced in August 2024, as the Kansas City City Council supported this state-built facility with Ordinance #240691 to acquire the 15 acre tract of land at the northwest corner of Independence Avenue and The Paseo. This site, often referred to as Belvidere Park, was also the location for HUD-operated Chouteau Court public housing project.
Acquisition of all parcels, with some owned by the City and the rest by HUD (Housing and Urban Development), was a lengthy process, with the state finalizing the land purchase in November 2025.
Following introductory remarks from Thomas, Sharon Freese, University Health Behavioral Health Administration CEO, spoke to attendees about the purpose and size of the facility.
While the design has not been finalized, this 300,000 square foot facility is expected to provide 200 patient beds that will expand services for University Health services as well as those provided by the Missouri Department of Mental Health.
“We want it to fit in the neighborhood, we don’t want it to look institutional,” said Freese. “I drive by it (the site) every day on my way to work. I don’t want it to stick out either… it’s very important to me that it’s a well-looking building that’s respectable and deserves the work that we’re going to do inside of it.”
Dale Cassmeyer, Deputy Director for the Missouri Office of Administration’s Facilities Management, Design and Construction Department, spoke about the timeline of the project and working with HDR Architecture on the specifics for the final design of this facility.

Cassmeyer stated that currently, his office is working to resolve the issue of the homeless encampment at the facility site. Signs were posted earlier this month stating the property was not for public use and they are working with the Kansas City Police Department’s Crisis Intervention team to contact those individuals, provide services, and relocate them. Then, a temporary 6 foot chain link fence will be installed around the perimeter of the property and trespassing charges will be enforced.

Missouri’s Office of Administration is working to safely relocate this houseless encampment and clear the site for construction. 

Cassmaeyer stated the fencing contractor had measured the parcel and fencing was expected to be installed the first week in April.
Speaking on behalf of business owners, Charlie Passentino, owner of Passentino Brothers Funeral Home (2117 Independence Blvd.), raised concerns that removal of the camp would cause more problems- windows get broken, employees get harassed, and then a new camp just builds somewhere else.
“What guarantees do we have that they are not just going to scatter?” he asked. He also suggested that the CID (Community Improvement District) had the staff and experience to assist with resources for those unhoused currently living at the site.
Columbus Park resident Kate Barsotti commented that current practices don’t seem to be working to address the issue, which seemed to be “sustaining homelessness instead of solving the problem” and she didn’t feel safe even shopping at the Aldi on The Paseo with camps so close by.
Meghan Roedel, CEO Missouri Department of Mental Health’s Center for Behavioral Medicine in Kansas City, stated she, and her staff, have experienced the same issues but that’s why they were committed to finding a solution.
“It is a needed service. From the macro level aspect of it, there is a lot of work that is going on…the impact of substance abuse orders and mental illness and how that is in the houseless population. (We’re)Trying to have better metrics, trying to look at those things that will eventually take care of themselves, if we are doing better in the system.”
Questions from attendees ranged from informing residents when construction would begin and how that will impact daily travel near the site, to comments about how information was being shared.
Columbus Park resident and former District 19 House of Representatives Legislator Ingrid Burnett stated that residents felt they needed more information and questioned why the neighborhood associations were not asked for feedback, suggesting that there should be a neighborhood contact to provide input and guidance.
“There are things about our ecosystem that you don’t know,” Burnett stated.

After a question about public facing amenities, Jason, HDR’s landscape architect, offered that he had brought a site map and encouraged attendees to make comments about trees, fencing and other suggestions that would be included in the final design
Several attendees brought up the question about a Community Betterment Agreement, which offers funds for community projects as a measure of good will.
Roedel responded to that question, stating, “The state hospitals receive a budget that’s just for their personal services, their staffing, any of those expenses and that’s a finite amount of money, there’s no money made off of it (services). They can bill Medicaid or Medicare for some of their clients but that’s just a drop in the bucket.”
University Health is also funded by the state of Missouri.
Throughout this session, Freese answered multiple questions regarding patient intake and release. While this facility will have an emergency intake area, patients will primarily be referred or transported from other behavioral health centers for care and will not be released without a guardian or place to go.
Freese added that this new facility, once completed, could address those issues residents and business owners now face by offering around the clock, secure care.
“I believe that we actually will help the community by giving a space of stability that it doesn’t (currently) have, and a service space with that,” Freese stated.
This listening session extended the time allowed to address all questions, with the promise to continue to provide updates through future meetings and outreach to the Northeast area neighborhood associations.
A website will continue to provide information and updates for this new facility at https://kchospitalbuild.mo.gov/

Photos by Dorri Partain