In Kansas City's Crossroads, all signs point to improvement.
The latest step forward? A complete redesign of 20th Street.
"The city has done a lot. Developers have done a lot," said developer Bob McDonald. "A lot of new stuff going on."
The city's spending $3.6 million of capital construction funding to turn what's essentially a four-lane street into a two-lane street to make room for a shared turn lane, bicycle lanes and improved sidewalks.
"We're really making it into a livable street. Some place for basically a neighborhood street, a destination street," said Sean Demory, KCMO Public Works' communications officer. "Some place for people to walk when they come down to the Crossroads."
While many old warehouses in the Crossroads were turned into apartments, the streets between them remained largely unchanged - until now.
"We've listened to the people who live in the area who work here and we've found an option that's going to make this street work for them a little more effectively," said Demory.
The 20th Street upgrade stretches all the way from Grand to Southwest Boulevard. It's an upgrade not only for the people who live here, but also the people who visit here each month for the popular art festival, First Friday.
"It's going to be more pedestrian-friendly," said McDonald.
When the project wraps up this fall, the city hopes 20th Street will better match the neighborhood that grew up around it.
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Justin Wilfon can be reached at justin.wilfon@kshb.com.
