KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Business owners in the West Bottoms want the public to know it is not as sleepy as they may think when visiting the antique haven on the weekends.
With new development on the horizon, the West Bottoms Cooperation Committee is hoping to amplify the vices of small business owners.
Many of them have called the West Bottoms home for decades.
VOICE FOR EVERYONE | Share your voice with KSHB 41’s Abby Dodge
The group gathered around a table on the second floor of an industrial building to plan for the future of the neighborhood, which some have been a part of for more than 60 years.
“We talk about our concerns, the best way to present our point of view,” said Edward Phillips, the owner of Phillips Fender Guide Company. “And to get allies so we can stay down here.”
The committee is worried their businesses will get pushed out by new construction, new residents and potential future regulation.
SomeraRoad Inc. has big plans for the West Bottoms.
The Weld Wheel Building was the first to go as part of the company’s more than $500 million project.
“We can’t forecast what the opportunities might be when a developer moves in," said Nick Allen, owner of Bella Patina. “However we do know there is a potential that none of us are a part of it if we don’t work together on it.”
The West Bottoms Cooperation Committee is also concerned about safety.
“And if we are going to get residents with children, this is a very unsafe environment,” said Doc Synder, owner of Doc’s Caboose.
Snyder’s business sits next to a major railroad crossing in the West Bottoms.
While KSHB 41's Abby Dodge was in the area for this story, she spotted people walking right across them, not as designated crossings.
The city of Kansas City conducted a quiet zone study in 2023.
KSHB 41 reached out the city on the study. The city said it was "unaware of any developments following the study."
“We just really want the opportunity to continue doing business in our neighborhood and continue being a part of the West Bottoms," Allen said. “We want to see Kansas City thrive. We want to see the West Bottoms thrive. We just don’t want to see it thrive at the expense of all the people who have invested so much of their lives into this area.”
The SomeraRoad Inc. project is expected to take 15 years to complete.
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