KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Ryan first covered the announcement of this major project in November 2026. The city asked him to spread awareness about this meeting to gather public input. Share your story idea with Ryan.
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On Thursday evening the City of Belton will host a neighborhood meeting to gather input on a major development project in the city.
KSHB 41's Cass County Beat Reporter Ryan Gamboa first reported on the project in November 2026.
"One thing residents have consistently told us is they'd like to see more entertainment and restaurant uses," explained Matt Wright, Community Development Director. "We know we need more roof tops to support that. This development does both of those things."
The project is expected to bring 600 new apartment homes, 130,000 square foot entertainment district, and 80,000 sq ft. of retail and restaurants located at N. Cedar St/E. 163rd St. and Givan Ave.
"Belton has great fundamentals for real estate development. It's an emerging city," Andrew Burks, a representative for the developer PETRA, told Gamboa last year.
Burks was unable to share much about what business will come to the project, but explained it would be a major hub for food, retail, and entertainment.
Some residents were excited to hear the news of the development last year.
"Just being able to walk across the street to shop. I can't wait," said resident Kay Valentik. "If I don't want to shop here, Overland Park is just 30 minutes away. And if they're putting in a brand new shopping center over here, I think that can only be a plus."
But, Valentik's neighbors, like Andrew Merhar, were skeptical about the city getting the "right" businesses into the space.
"This is a growing city, so if they get the right stuff in there, that's key," he said.
The project is privately funded and has not been approved by the Planning and Zoning board or the City Council, according to Wright.
Once the city receives input from the public on the project, it plans to move forward with seeking approval from to move forward.
"We just hope people will come out and at least provide some feedback, positive or negative. We're open to any feedback. Ultimately our goal is to make this the best project we can and something the citizens of Belton can be proud of," added Wright.
The neighborhood meeting will take place at the City of Belton Annex building in downtown from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
The address for the Annex Building is 520 Main St, Belton, MO 64012.
If you can't make Thursday's meeting send an email with your feedback to projects@belton.org.
You can also reach out to Ryan with your concerns or comments at Ryan.Gamboa@kshb.com.
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