Kansas City, Kansas

After years of economic hardships and decline, the UG was the beginning of a landmark renaissance in the community. Soon after the UG was launched, the economic opportunity of a lifetime landed in Wyandotte County. The Kansas Speedway and Village West developments are the most successful economic developments ever built in the State of Kansas, turning mostly undeveloped land into one of the most popular tourist, shopping and entertainment attractions in the Midwest. Katherine Carttar, KCK Director of Economic Development, reports, “We have a lot going on in Kansas City, Kansas. It’s a very exciting time. Over the past 20 years, we’ve had a lot of development out west, which was a large greenfield area. That development spurred new growth in the county and additional revenue. Now we are at a point where we’re able to shift focus to downtown revitalization projects, with increased interest for expanding the density in the core. People wanting to be in a more walkable location, so we’re doing a number of things to make that come to life.” In terms of green, the city is working with the Army Corps of Engineers on a $453 million levee raise project on the Kansas River. It involves putting in miles and miles of levee trails, which will significantly extend the trail system and help with the wellbeing and health of the residents. A great deal of development has occurred on the western side of the county, at the intersection of I-435 and I-470. Mayor David Alvey explains, “That’s where the NASCAR International Speedway Corporation decided to open up a racetrack because they were trying to reach the market in the Midwest. At that time, city council decided to take advantage of the opportunity and did a surrounding 400-acre retail and lifestyle development known as The Legends, that has continued to generate more investment. Sporting KC, major league soccer, built their stadium in The Legends and the Kansas City T-Bones baseball team built there.”