Northeast News
Feb. 2, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Kansas City’s Parks and Recreation department is hosting an open house regarding the realignment of the Paseo Boulevard and Independence Avenue intersection – the Paseo Gateway to Kansas City’s downtown. Attendees can come and go during the open house to view the five proposed alternatives and provide feedback to city representatives and the designers.

The open house is scheduled for 5 – 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3, at the Butterworth Alumni Center at Kansas City University, 1750 Independence Ave. Input is needed from area stakeholders to help the city select the preferred alternative for modifications to Paseo Boulevard (I-35 ramps to Ninth Street) to create the Paseo Gateway to Kansas City’s downtown.

The desired outcomes of the project are:

  • A welcoming gateway for motorists from the Northeast and downtown
  • Reduced crashes at the intersections of Paseo Boulevard and Independence Avenue – currently motorists get caught on Independence Avenue between the two intersections because they are so close together
  • Safer driving, pedestrian and bicycle travel
  • Improved public transit access now and future accommodation of a street car line

The transportation improvements serve as an essential catalyst for the implementation of the Paseo Gateway Transformation Plan completed in 2013. In 2015, Kansas City and local partners received a $30 million Choice Neighborhood Grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to implement the Transformation Plan for area surrounding the Paseo Gateway Project in the Historic Northeast. City officials and the Kansas City Housing Authority are leveraging local investment to improve the quality of life for those who live, work and visit the Paseo Gateway. The goal is to creatively harness and redirect downtown revitalization—while simultaneously improving the lives of public housing residents.

The public will be asked to comment on their preferred alternative so the input can be considered in the final intersection design. The project design team is led by Shafer, Kline, and Warren. For more information, contact James Wang, Project Manager, at 
816-513-7622 or James.Wang@kcmo.com.