KSHB 41 anchor/reporter Daniela Leon covers transportation-related issues in Kansas City. Share your story idea with Daniela.
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A $200 million urban park is coming to Kansas City by 2028. Roy Blunt Luminary Park is set to be built over I-670, part of the Downtown Loop.
Meshuggah Bagels is a short walk from where the future 5.5-acre park will be built, which will include inclusive play areas, entertainment features, and accommodate pedestrian accessibility.
Owner Pete Linde of Meshuggah Bagels believes the park will spur more people to come into his shop.
"It's a great development for us," Linde explained. "anytime there's something that brings more people to the neighborhood, whether it's Two Light, Three Light or any of the other residences, that helps us a ton, but something like a park where it brings families to come and spend the day, that's a big thing for us, because they got to eat."
Construction for the park will begin later this year, according to a city spokesperson. The plan is to funnel part of I-670 traffic through a tunnel and place Roy Blunt Luminary Park over it, linking the Crossroads Art District to the Central Business District.
Loews Hotel, which is adjacent to the future park, believes this traffic change will help with noise reduction and keep tourism afloat.
"I think it's important to have this type of experience to help us represent Kansas City as a destination that people want to enjoy," said Brian Johnson with the Loews Hotel in Kansas City.
The Kansas City Downtown Council tells KSHB41, community engagement played a major role in bringing this park to downtown with the hope that this added green space will enhance urban vibrancy, connectivity and become an economic driver.
"Through thousands of interviews and community engagement sessions, what rose to the top of that list is a green space. That's something that was really needed by the residents who live here, who need more green space for visitors, that, again, can connect these unique destinations together, and from an economic development perspective. It will promote more people to want to invest around it and locate their businesses here. So it kind of hits on all cylinders," said Bill Dietrich, president and CEO of the Kansas City Downtown Council.
A Kansas City spokesperson says it's still too early to determine what the construction site will look like, but despite its proximity to the Kansas City Street Car, it won't be impacted.
"I mean, of course, there's going to be some change, but I don't think it's going to be so much of a notable change that it's going to make things more difficult to be around," said Sherae Honeycutt, press secretary and spokeswoman of Kansas City. "The Street Car line is not going to be impacted, we're still going to have bridges across the span for people to use and walk, but you'll also have the opportunity to walk across the grass if you're just trying to get to the other side."
The city is working with local and national architects for this project, including OJB Landscape Architecture, which was behind the Klyde Warren Park in Dallas, Texas, after its construction. The KC Downtown Council said the park brought in over $5 billion of investment around it.
"No matter what, that's going to be a resource that people are going to want to come and take advantage of," Linde said.
