KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Grain Valley. She is always looking to cover what impacts residents and keep her hometown informed. Share your story idea with Claire.
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Eastern Jackson County residents are making New Year's resolutions not just for themselves, but for their cities too.
I focus my coverage on Blue Springs and Grain Valley, and I wanted to know what residents hope to see their cities prioritize in 2026. The answers ranged from downtown development, road concerns, and redoing parking lot and road lines.
"Community togetherness, a lot of projects that need to be complete," one resident said when asked about Blue Springs priorities.
Another resident pointed to infrastructure needs, asking, "If the lines are supposed to be there, why isn't that prioritized?"
I took these same questions to both cities' mayors to see how their priorities align with residents' wishes.
Grain Valley focuses on parks and recreation improvements
One standout priority for Grain Valley this year is parks and recreation development. The city plans to dredge ponds at Butterfly Trail to allow for restocking and has started early work to establish the first city park north of I-70 at Dillingham and Duncan.
"We're going to do that study this year and talk to residents see, hey, what would you like to see? What would you use when we construct this park?" Mayor Michael Todd said.
Earlier this week, Grain Valley's Board of Aldermen approved the contractor for a major trail expansion on the south side of town.
Blue Springs prepares for more infrastructure improvements, downtown renovations
Blue Springs Mayor Chris Lievsay posted on Facebook at the start of the year asking residents what they want added, removed or improved in the city. Comments on the Facebook post ranged from wanting a natural grocery store to pointing out road flaws.
"If we're doing our jobs right, we're doing the things that residents want us to do. So it's always good to get feedback from the residents anytime you can do that. Also, every time you learn things l learned about a stop sign that need to be replaced," Lievsay said.
Blue Springs residents can expect continued infrastructure improvements from the 2024 bond such as adding a right-hand turn lane at northbound Adams Dairy Parkway east onto Duncan Road, and the extension of SW 12th Street. The neighborhood street improvements continue in 2026.
There will be increased focus on downtown revitalization as work begins soon to improve Main Street. From 15th Street to Highway 7, Main Street will undergo work to improve sidewalks, parking and streetlights. The city will also be releasing Requests for Proposals, known as RFPs, for the city-owned properties at 15th and Main and 11th and Main.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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