Long-term urban redevelopment is increasingly tying transportation, housing, public space and mixed-use development into coordinated construction programs, creating opportunities for owners and contractors involved in complex district-scale projects. In Kansas City, Burns & McDonnell’s planning and design work has contributed to a series of projects extending downtown redevelopment toward the Missouri River.
Burns & McDonnell said its team has worked on more than a dozen projects in and around Kansas City’s core and Berkley Riverfront during the past five years. The work has included transportation connections, pedestrian infrastructure, public spaces and riverfront improvements.
The Berkley Riverfront Connectivity Study developed strategies intended to improve connections between the riverfront, Columbus Park and surrounding Kansas City neighborhoods. The planning work addressed walking, cycling and other transportation links between districts.
The Current Landing Riverfront Promenade was designed as a pedestrian-oriented public space connecting a mixed-use development with the adjacent levee. The space is intended to accommodate events, outdoor dining, markets, festivals and other gatherings.
Founder’s Park at Current Landing adds trails, activity areas and a pedestrian pier as an extension of Berkley Riverfront Park. The project is intended to strengthen physical connections between the riverfront and surrounding urban areas.
Burns & McDonnell also worked on the Kansas City Streetcar Riverfront Pavilion, a transportation facility designed to accommodate large crowds and provide access to the riverfront area.
Development is also moving into the West Bottoms, an area immediately west of downtown Kansas City. Approximately eight acres of public-realm improvements are planned as part of a broader redevelopment effort led by Somera Road in collaboration with the city, railroads, property owners and community stakeholders.
The redevelopment program is expected to include a public plaza and pedestrian-oriented streetscape alongside hundreds of apartments, office space, retail and dining uses, and a hotel.
Stormwater management is another component of the West Bottoms work. The project team incorporated stormwater strategies into the district design while creating a flexible civic space intended to support multiple uses.
The broader downtown redevelopment effort also includes the planned reopening of Barney Allis Plaza, adding another public-space investment within the central business district.
Kansas City’s redevelopment has evolved from individual catalytic projects toward a more interconnected urban development strategy. Earlier initiatives helped strengthen the downtown residential base, establish entertainment and dining uses, add an arena, attract employers and support development of the streetcar system.
The expansion toward the riverfront has added another layer of infrastructure and development requirements. CPKC Stadium at Berkley Riverfront Park provides a major sports venue, while surrounding development is adding housing, retail, open space and transportation connections.
The next phase of downtown development also encompasses nearby districts including the West Bottoms, Columbus Park and the 18th & Vine District. For construction stakeholders, the approach illustrates how district-scale redevelopment can combine vertical construction with streetscapes, parks, mobility infrastructure, stormwater systems and other public-realm improvements.
The Kansas City work demonstrates the construction coordination required when urban redevelopment extends across multiple property types and infrastructure systems. For owners and developers, integrating public spaces and transportation connections with residential, commercial and hospitality projects can affect site planning and project sequencing.
For contractors and design teams, the projects create work across civil infrastructure, landscape architecture, transportation, mixed-use development and public facilities. The continued redevelopment of Kansas City’s core and riverfront also underscores the role of infrastructure and public-realm improvements in supporting larger private development programs.
Source: Burns & McDonnell.
