No reservoir-ations about park’s future

reservoir.tif

Reservoir. Community members want to see the abandoned reservoir turned into something the community can use. Joe Jarosz

 

By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
October 22, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – First, they took a look at Independence Avenue.

Now, students with the Kansas City Design Center are looking at Kessler Park.

Last Wednesday night, the first of many public engagement meetings was held between Northeast residents and the seven students involved with the Kessler Park vision study. The project will focus on repurposing the abandoned water reservoir, as well as an overall vision study of Kessler Park which would include new amenities and a master plan for the park. The boundaries defined for the project include Indiana Avenue on the east, Cliff Drive to the north, Paseo Boulevard on the west and Admiral Boulevard to the south.

During the 2012-13 academic year, the Kansas City Design Center, in collaboration with Northeast Alliance Together (NEAT) and the KCMO Planning Department, completed an urban vision study of Independence Avenue and the Historic Northeast neighborhood. In a previous story by former managing editor Leslie Collins, students gathered information about the Independence Avenue Corridor to study the Northeast and create designs for different sections along the corridor. Students studied everything from peak bus times to density and topography influences to area roads that affect the Northeast. Some of the design ideas included repurposing the shuttered Thacher Elementary School into a performing arts space and reworking streets to better connect Northeast to downtown.

Aaron Bisch and Lindsey Brockhouse, the two students who led the presentation, said the 303-acre park designed by George Kessler contains topography unique to Kansas City. The north side of the park is bordered by a cliff physically separating the park from the East Bottoms and Cliff Drive, provides a vehicular perspective through Kessler Park. Amenities and attractions such as a professional disc golf course, bike trails, memorials, and sculpture are all located within the park.

KC Design Center Professor Vladimir Krstic said this project is a continuation of their efforts to provide service learning and contributions to the ongoing urban development efforts of the city. The primary beneficiaries of the project include the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department, Northeast Alliance Together (NEAT), Green Space Committee and the surrounding neighborhoods.

“This is building on the efforts and studies done before on enhancing the development of the Northeast,” Kristic said.

Bisch went on to add their goal is to determine how to turn Kessler Park into a citywide destination. At the same time, they’d also like to enable greater community use within the park.

“We want the people in the Northeast to use the park in a better way or more extensively than they currently do,” Bisch said.

Brockhouse noted that the students are looking at two aspects of the park, how it affects the metro and the surrounding community. Bisch said the Northeast is a hotspot for modern and organic initiatives popping up.

“We want to build on all these projects moving forward and aiding and working on the same goal as everyone else in the area,” Bisch said.

Since the park has so much to offer, the students also broke the park into four different zones to better grasp the magnitude of the park. The students, after having established the zones, began creating 3D models to examine the different, “little parks” or zones, and the park, as a whole.

The students then looked at different case studies, to better understand how they can turn their findings on the park and the reservoir into a more integrated study. The group showed photos of Olympic Park in Seattle and Paddington Reservoir Gardens in Sydney, Australia, and compared the likeness of those parks to Kessler Park.

“We want to also better understand your ideas and see what you think,” Bisch said to the group of about 12 community members who attended the meeting. Throughout the public input portion, those invested in the park noted how they’d like to see the reservoir cleaned up and turned into either a skate park or an amphitheater. Participants also noted that if more activities and amenities are introduced to Kessler Park – with Richard Plackemeier, as one idea, installing picnic tables and shelters – then more people from throughout the city will head to the park which would result in less crime and security concerns for the area.

“The simplest ideas don’t cost a lot or take a lot of planning,” Plackemeier said.

After the meeting, Plackemeier said he was hoping to hear more ideas that could be implemented sooner, rather than later. Still, he said he appreciates the students taking an academic approach to looking at the park.

“There’s a lot of stuff going on up there already,” Plackemeier said. “Later on they [the students] are going to come up with some more specific ideas but I thought they were going to get more into that tonight. At least they have ideas and they’re exercising their minds which is good to get people together and brainstorm.”

The next public engagement session is currently slated for November, but the group discussed holding public meetings more frequently than just once a month.

Want Northeast News articles sent straight to your inbox each week? Subscribe below!
Enter your email address and click on the Get Instant Access button.
We respect your privacy

Comments are closed.

  • FLASHBACK: Liberty Tree in Northeast Pushing 250

    October 17th, 2019
    by

    Yesterday, FlatlandKC published a story titled Big Tree “A Living Monument” in Old Northeast, about a Burr Oak located on Monroe […]


    KC Parks and Rec offers free beginning swim lessons

    May 24th, 2017
    by

    By Abby Cambiano Northeast News May 24, 2017 KANSAS CITY, Missouri – The Kansas City, Missouri Parks and Recreation Department […]


    KC Urban Youth Academy to be ready by October 2017

    January 25th, 2017
    by

    By Paul Thompson Northeast News January 25, 2017 KANSAS CITY, Missouri – A large crowd packed into a Gregg/Klice Community […]


    KCMO adds extra tire recycling events in Northeast

    October 26th, 2016
    by

    KANSAS CITY, Missouri – The Historic Northeast is about to receive some much-needed attention, as the City of Kansas City…


    Office Tower slated for Indep/Benton

    April 1st, 2016
    by

    Northeast Ruse KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Officials with Cashphlash, an international payday lending agency, has expressed interest in constructing a […]


    Second meeting brings more clarity to plan

    December 2nd, 2014
    by

    By Joe Jarosz Northeast News KANSAS CITY, Missouri — They’ve heard what you had to say about the park earlier this fall.


    Fire destroys pawn shop warehouse

    November 19th, 2014
    by

    Michael Bushnell Northeast News Nov. 19, 2014 KANSAS CITY, Missouri — The Kansas City Fire Department were called to an […]


    New book showcases history of city’s parks and boulevards

    November 19th, 2014
    by

    Northeast News November 19, 2014 KANSAS CITY, Missouri – The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s “Images of America” series is […]


    One dead after morning shooting outside City Hall

    November 12th, 2014
    by

    Joe Jarosz Northeast News Nov. 12, 2014 KANSAS CITY, Missouri — One man is dead after a early morning shooting […]


  • Neighborhood Advisory Council seeks candidates for 2015

    November 12th, 2014
    by

    Northeast News November 12, 2014 KANSAS CITY, Missouri – The Kansas City, Mo., Neighborhood Advisory Council is seeking candidates for […]


    Kessler Bark: Record breaking tree grows in HNE

    November 12th, 2014
    by

      By Joe Jarosz Northeast News November 12, 2014 KANSAS CITY, Missouri – The Northeast is now able to claim […]


    U.S. Navy Blue Angels to stop in Kansas City for preseason visit

    November 11th, 2014
    by

    Northeast News Nov. 11, 2014 KANSAS CITY, Missouri — The U.S. Navy Blue Angel representatives will visit Kansas City next week […]


    KCMO to host hard to recycle items event on America Recycles Day

    November 10th, 2014
    by

    Northeast News Nov. 10, 2014 KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Are old televisions, mattresses, bicycles and other items taking up space […]


    City offices closed Nov. 11, 27 and 28; trash pickup delayed

    November 8th, 2014
    by

    Northeast News Nov. 8, 2014 KANSAS CITY, Missouri — City Hall wants you to know there will be a few […]


    Gov. Nixon announces summer jobs program for 1,500 low-income youth in Kansas City area

    November 7th, 2014
    by

    Joe Jarosz Northeast News Nov. 14, 2014 KANSAS CITY, Missouri — The lesson learned from earning a buck is something […]


    Jackson County gets four new faces for Legislature

    November 5th, 2014
    by

    Joe Jarosz Northeast News Nov. 5, 2014 KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Jackson County Democrats had nothing to worry about on […]


    A new program coming to teach children music

    November 5th, 2014
    by

    By Joe Jarosz Northeast News November 5, 2014 KANSAS CITY, Missouri – An area community center is hoping to bring […]


    Fan rally.

    November 5th, 2014
    by

    By Kirstie Mulligan Northeast News November 5, 2014 James Shields, Billy Butler and Jeremy Guthrie, among others, thanked fans for […]


  • Northeast Newscast


  • Remember This?

    Remember this?

    September 27th, 2023
    by

  • Want articles sent directly to your inbox each week? Subscribe below!
    We respect your privacy and will not distribute your information.