By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
June 24, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — The Northeast is one step closer to getting a plaza to represent its diversity.

Last week, the Finance, Governance and Ethics Committee, as well as the City Council, unanimously approved, minus an absent Mayor Sly James, a five-year license agreement with Historic Northeast Events, for the purpose of place making and public art space at the intersection of Independence and Hardesty Avenues.

At last week’s committee meeting, Bobbi Baker-Hughes, CEO of the Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce as well as the president of Historic Northeast Events, said the plaza would include a piece of commemorative artwork which celebrates and honors the heritage and diversity of the Historic Northeast neighborhoods. The area would be used to celebrate the Northeast’s past while also looking forward to its future with a heritage tree, which would feature 127 flags representing the many cultures of the Northeast.

“It’s an empty lot with a lot of pedestrian foot traffic,” Baker-Hughes said at the committee meeting.

She added the proposed global peace plaza would be an appropriate bookend for the east end of the Northeast and Independence Avenue, noting The Paseo is a gateway to downtown from the west and in between is Benton Boulevard, which is in the process of a makeover.

“This is the logical space to tie the Avenue together,” Baker-Hughes told the committee.

Along with the piece of art, the tree with 127 flags, actual trees will be planted, as well. She added the CID would mow the grass and is in discussion with the Kansas City Public Schools to use bricks from the demolition of the former Thacher Elementary School for a memorial of the school. More details will be provided once she presents the idea at an upcoming Public Improvements Advisory Committee hearings.

Currently, there is no timeline for the project. The first step, she said, was becoming the licensee of the property. From there, Baker-Hughes said she’ll continue to gather community support for the project.

“I’d love to say we’ll have it for the community within six months, but it’s dependent on PIAC,” Baker-Hughes said. “I’m excited about it because we need a gateway and a place for the community to gather which will help us get rid of some of the trouble in that area.”

After the presentation, Council member and committee vice chair Scott Wagner said the reason why this proposed plaza would help the Northeast is because this solves a city problem of dead space.

“Plus, this will be a nice tie in to the Hardesty Renaissance project,” Wagner said.

Historic Northeast Events will host a community meeting regarding the space and answer any questions on the proposed plan at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 25, at the NorthEast Library, 6000 Wilson Road.