KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Ruth Scover, who’s been the owner of Ms. R’s Café for 32 years on Quindaro Boulevard, said not much has changed in her northeast neighborhood.
“From 13th street down this way, there's nothing,” Scover said. “For the taxes and stuff we're paying, we're not getting a lot for it.”
With several boarded up buildings, she’s hoping the several closed signs on the doors will soon change to open signs, welcoming more people in.
“We don't have a grocery store around here, we don't have a place to really shop at around here. The only thing they're building around here is Family Dollar and Dollar General,” she said. “You're building houses, that's a plus -- but where do you go? You have to go out of the neighborhood in order to do some things.”
That’s why KCK leaders have been developing a Northeast Area Master Plan.
Tuesday, Kansas City, Kansas, leaders were set to hold community meetings discussing their Northeast Area Master Plan.
The plan is looking to create a safer and more welcoming area for its residents.
“We have different groups talking about neighborhoods, talking about commercial corridors, streets, different types of places that make up the northeast area,” KCK Unified Government Urban Planner Zach Flanders said.
Flanders said this is the first time there’s been a plan like this in place in northeast KCK.
“It's important that it's actually sponsored by the city, and the commission is going to be adopting it, and it's going to become the official policy of the city,” Flanders said. “So it's something we're going to be looking at when we look at infrastructure, when we're looking at development decisions and that will be the policy level that will guide the decision making.”
Flanders made it clear that the city wants and needs the residents' input.
“This plan represents the vision of the people who live and work in the northeast,” Flanders said. “It's not the city's plan for the northeast, it's the northeast's plan for the northeast.”
The public is invited to attend the meetings. The first one will be held at 1 p.m. at Neff Packaging at 555 Sunshine Rd. The next meeting will be at 6 p.m. at Grant Elementary at 1510 N. 4th St.
If you're unable to attend either of the meetings, you can share your thoughts and ideas here.
