Current Hardesty Self Storage building, which will become the site of Historic Northeast Lofts. | File photo

Carter Galloway

Editorial Assistant

My freshman year of college I, like many college students, needed money. I also, like many young people fresh out of high school, was not feeling a strong urge to get a job. So I began to donate at CSL Plasma with my father. I remember waking up at 6 a.m. and riding down to Independence Avenue and sitting in line to donate. This is when I first started becoming familiar with Northeast Kansas City.

My senior year of college, I returned to the Northeast as I was hired as The Northeast News’s editorial assistant for the semester to fulfill my internship credit through the University of Missouri- Kansas City (UMKC). I was excited to return to the neighborhood, but I  noticed something I quickly learned is an elephant in the room within the Northeast.

Trendy coffee shops, rising home prices and brand new apartment complexes and townhomes. The area felt completely different.

My sophomore year of college, I took a class on civic and urban engagement. One topic we discussed was gentrification.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines gentrification as “a process in which an impoverished area ( of a city) experiences an influx of middle-class or wealthy people who renovate and rebuild homes and businesses, and which often results in an increase in property values and the displacement of earlier, usually poorer residents.”

I was reminded of my civic and urban engagement class. All of these recent additions to the Northeast are warning signs I was taught in class. The Northeast is also, sadly, the perfect place for gentrification to happen. It’s an area with a rich history and community. There are brick buildings, old historic parks and a growing array of shops and restaurants.

These aspects may cause a more affluent person to buy a home, fix it up and enjoy the rich history and culture within the neighborhood. And that may cause another and another and another: a domino effect. Eventually none of this history and culture remains; Instead, a community of renovators and risk takers enjoy the nice amenities, which have slowly appeared.

The proposed Columbus Park Townhomes — 1021 to 1025 Pacific St. — are a symptom of this. The Northeast News previously criticized these $600,000 townhomes and $1,500 per month apartment prices during the project’s groundbreaking. 

These townhomes are very close to the River Market, another element, which  may attract possible gentries within the Northeast. It’s very obvious that these projects are not built for Northeast residents.

There are many signs of gentrification, many of which have occurred in other areas outside the Northeast.  Gentrification is a growing issue in the U.S. and it is slowly reaching more awareness on a national level. It has become a topic that people are aware of and understand its impact. It displaces people and removes them from a community they’ve spent their entire lives in or their family has spent generations in. However, while empathy has grown around gentrification,  it is this compassion, which may be its greatest obstacle.

Another project, “Historic Northeast Lofts,” Jonathan Arnold and The Arnold Development group acquired the former Hardesty Self-Storage building and its surrounding area (5401 Independence Ave.) for renovation.  But, the group appears conscious of the potential impact it could have on Northeast residents. It plans to have 80% of its 389 units as affordable housing. 

The project page for Historic Northeast Lofts emphasizes the importance of real estate development positively impacting the community. In its blog, Arnold Development Group states, “as Downtown Kansas City’s rental prices rise, affordable housing is increasingly essential. Our project seeks to provide housing for families within the 30% to 80% Area Median Income (AMI) range, preserving the rights and housing security of existing residents.”

Only time will tell if this project can bring a breath of fresh air into a community seemingly under attack by real estate developers. Maybe there is a rising trend in empathy in the development community. Maybe a more optimistic outlook sees this restoration as a good thing —a developer  aware of their impact on communities and  seeking to improve them. But a little bit of skepticism can’t hurt either.

I feel like it’s something that has to be acknowledged to clear the air. The Northeast is a wonderful neighborhood with a rich, vibrant history at its foundation and an even more wonderful residential community to uplift it. It’s something beautiful that unfortunately is at risk of being tampered with.

I’ll never forget my time at CSL Plasma becoming familiar with this neighborhood. It was a great place to meet people too. I remember waiting outside of the building in line, looking at the truck-shaving Independence Avenue Bridge as they unlocked their doors.

And I especially won’t forget my time at The Northeast News. It showed me a beautiful community that I deeply care for. All I can do is say this: The Northeast is changing. Is it for better or is it for worse? I do not know. Change is easier with preparation, and preparing with awareness. All I ask is to be aware of gentrification; The Northeast will always be Kansas City’s Historic Northeast Neighborhood.