KANSAS CITY, Mo — Planners of the South Loop Project reveled their latest park design during the third public meeting on Tuesday night.
It was the culmination of direct feedback from over 2,700 community members through surveys, public forums and neighborhood meetings.
The $200 million park will be stretching over Interstate 670, connecting downtown Kansas City to the Crossroads Arts District.
The focus was to make it a green space — a respite from the city life — that is completely accessible for everyone.
The park will be separated into three major sections: a food hall, a performance pavilion and a playground. And then surrounding the three big sections will be other smaller amenities like a dog park, gathering spaces and public art just to name a few.
“It would be great to have some more dog-friendly accommodations," said Shannon Moroan, who lives in One Light located in downtown KCMO. "I know that there’s also some children that live in the area, in my building and things, so I think that they were proposing a park which I think would be really cool."
Moran is concerned about the construction, road closures and noise that will inevitably come from the project, but she says the benefits will outweigh the negatives.
In addition to the feedback, planners say they were very intentional about the design — making sure the area reflected KCMO’s history and culture.
Anthony Gosserand, who also lives in the area, says he is excited to see the city continue growing. He believes the park will improve the entire neighborhood and help boost the economy.
“I know we have our parks, but they are out of the city. And so, we’re gonna have a municipal park which is, I think it’s gonna be beautiful,” Gosserand said. “The more people we have living downtown, more businesses will be patronized, more money will be made. There will be more tax dollars for the city. It’s a win win.”
The goal is to have enough funds so that it can be ready in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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