KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As the popularity of downtown Kansas City and the Crossroads district soars, some businesses and residents said they are being priced out after rental costs jumped in those areas.
Now, another neighborhood is gaining added attention as those businesses seek the refuge of cheaper rents in Columbus Park.
It's an older neighborhood, which is also known as Little Italy, and it's getting a new look.
"I'm always watching out the window and seeing new neighbors," Happy Gillis and Columbus Park Ramen Shop owner Abbey-Jo Eans said.
She has owned Happy Gillis for about six years and opened Columbus Ramen Shop next door three years ago.
"The neighborhood itself really drew us, because we are close to downtown and where things happen, and we're still part of the whole food scene, but we're in the neighborhood," Eans said.
One of the neighborhood's long-time staples, Garozzo's Restorante, has seen the changes.
"A lot of the Italian people are coming back to the neighborhood," owner Michael Garozzo said. "All the growth and all the great people moving down here, professionals and business people that want to live down here."
CP Lofts benefitted from the Columbus Park resurgence.
"The minute our project opened, we had all the units pre-leased," Praire Fire Development Group spokesman Jared Nook said.
The demand is so big, CP Lofts has been full for the past two years with a waiting list.
"We're getting development pressure, certainly from the Crossroads and inside the downtown loop as well as the River Market," Nook said.
Like the Crossroads, Columbus Park has arts scene, though it's smaller. The neighborhood hosts an event with artists every third Friday.
