LENEXA, Kan. — Downtown Lenexa is going through a revival based on a vision approved by voters more than 20 years ago.
The Lenexa Public Market marked the first anniversary of its opening Saturday with a birthday party.
“There is a lot of excitement a lot of energy right here,” Lenexa resident Mike Stein said.
From a birthday cake to a six-foot birthday card, Lenexans seem to take pride in the Public Market.
“I think they've done a very good job, very forward-thinking,” Lenexa resident Harvey Buckley said.
The Lenexa Public Market has everything from food to clothing.
“This is cheap for me to rent a space for the day and have this much area,” local vendor Jeanette Knittel said.
Surrounding the public market are various other new additions, like the recently completed Lenexa Community Center complete with an indoor water park, to ongoing projects, like the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center.
This growth excites this who live here.
“It's good for future jobs, for our young adults, the teens that are looking at all the area going around," Lenexa resident Michele Sweet said. "I think the library is great because it's keeping our kids off the streets, you know bringing our kids to the textile of book."
That was the idea behind the Lenexa 2040 project, which aims to make the city a destination for families looking to balance work with fun.
“That's the key, is to keep the people, keep the generations well-mixed and a mulit-generational city,” Stein said.
Construction on several downtown projects, including The District mixed-use development, will still take a couple more years to complete.
