Michael Bushnell Contributor

The Independence Avenue CID’s Zone 3 stretches roughly nine-tenths of a mile between Van Brunt Boulevard on the west and Hardesty Avenue on the east. Much like Zone 2, this part of the Avenue has its own challenges in terms of development and quality of life issues.

 Neighborhoods bordering the Avenue in this zone are the Indian Mound neighborhood on the north and again, the Lykins Neighborhood on the south.

This section of the Avenue is less-dense in terms of commercial development and has a different feel than Zones 1 and 2. Residences here are again interspersed with small, locally owned businesses such as Tacos and Wings, Lit Smoke Shop and Steam Bowl.

Entering Zone 3,  Van Brunt Boulevard crosses the Avenue– the site of one of the city’s first Vision Zero intersection improvement projects, designed to calm traffic and create a safer, more walkable intersection for pedestrians. Near this intersection is KCFD Station 23, one of the busiest in the city,  home to Pumper 23 and Truck 10.

Continuing east towards Hardesty Avenue  one sees the expansive lawn of Northeast Middle School on the north, a monument to the location of the former Thatcher Elementary, and a view of one of the CID’s monarch butterfly murals.  Across is the busy parking lot of El Mercado Fresco on the south and the newly-expanded Essig Family McDonald’s restaurant, all of which are major community partners for the CID organization and the Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.