Exponential growth means longtime locals are bound to have a “wait, when did this get here?” moment. With lots of new developments on the horizon, we’re here to catch you up on 15 of KC’s most anticipated builds — timelines, renderings, details — so grab your hard hat and let’s get going.
Barney Allis Plaza
A groundbreaking this June kicked off this years-long construction process making over the duo park + parking garage in its first facelift since 1985. Amenities of the new and improved iteration include an “arts-focused greenspace,” dog park, and ~580-space parking garage, expected to be complete by summer 2026.
Berkley Riverfront
You’ve heard of the parking garage controversy, but do you remember its 10-year plan? Early milestones include boutique hotel Origin KC (opening this fall) and a publicly-owned beer garden, up next are a:
- Riverfront promenade
- Town square
- Retail plaza
- And affordable housing.
Phase one — which includes the streetcar extension — will finish by the FIFA World Cup in 2026, with total completion expected for 2033.
BluHawk
The south OP development has been building out for the better part of a decade, but something new is on the horizon: the 400,000-sqft AdventHealth Sports Park opening this October.
Inside you’ll find an NHL-size ice rink, multiple courts, turf field, and family entertainment center complete with bowling, laser tag, and arcade games. Come prepared to play hard.
Buck O’Neil Bridge
The old bridge went boom. Replacement for the 68-year-old structure, which carried 169 Highway over the Missouri River, is expected to finish by the end of this year. In the meantime, the city has put out a call for artists looking to leave their mark with a semi-permanent mural on the new bridge. Applications close this Thursday, Aug. 22.
Destination KCK
Come 2026, you’ll be able to step into a real life dream house at Mattel Adventure Park Kansas City in Bonner Springs. The all-new entertainment resort is set to be the anchor attraction at Destination KCK, a 180-acre project with an all-season Christmas Village, six waterfront restaurants, event pavilions on the lake, and 30+ retail stores.
While Barbie’s Dreamhouse is set to open in a few years, no timeline has been released for Destination KCK.
The trail loop was listed as a Catalytic Project in the Imagine Downtown KC 2030 Strategic Plan. | Photo via City of Kansas City
Greenline KC
It’s in the early stages, but this 10-mile urban trail has been quickly adopted by locals + city leaders alike. Walk, bike, or hike your way around the downtown loop and find yourself at any number of exciting attractions like Rock Island Bridge and Pennway Point (more on both of these later).
KC Streetcar
Riders, rejoice — the Main Street Extension is still on track to be completed by 2025. Next stop, the Riverfront Extension is currently underway with construction taking over the Grand Boulevard Bridge for 60 days starting Monday, Sept. 9.
Lee’s Summit Farmers Market
The future is walkable — at least according to the designers of Lee’s Summit’s Downtown Market Plaza. The project started construction this year, and will include a:
- Streetscaped pavillion
- Boutique hotel
- Outdoor performance area
- Restaurant building
- Urban apartments
- Updated farmers market + event space
Completion is expected for spring 2025.
Overland Park Farmers’ Market
A $34 million transformation is coming to the award-winning open-air market. Upgrades include building an indoor pavilion for year-round use, alongside enhancing the area’s stone patio + utilities hookups. Put down the reusable tote bags, everybody — no construction timeline has been released yet.
Pennway Point
The KC Wheel is up and rolling, but what about it’s other main attractions? Unfortunately, there’s not much progress to report on — no construction updates or tenant announcements have been released as of late. In the meantime, you can build the excitement with a sneak peek of LUMI Neon Museum‘s Neon Alley.
Rock Island Bridge
Hold on to your hard hats. The Rock Island Bridge, which was expected to open this summer, has delayed its debut until spring 2025. In the meantime, its creators are working on ways for locals to explore the 1905 bridge-turned-entertainment hub, including guided tours.
South Loop
The urban park set to cap I-670 downtown will span ~five acres + aims to create a more walkable experience for residents and visitors alike. The destination will include features like accessible play spaces, public entertainment forums, and multimodal transportation options.
Originally, project leaders planned to have the project completed by FIFA World Cup 2026 — though construction has yet to start.
Southpointe @ 63rd
Located ~10 minutes south of downtown at the intersection of Route 71 and 63rd St., the ~31-acre site has been vacant for years due to blight.
The new neighborhood will combine green urbanism with transit-oriented development, featuring multi-family housing, a walkable retail plaza, and extended-stay hotel in its plans. The first phase is expected to finish by the end of this year, will total completion by 2032.
Vacation Village
Vacation Village is an $838 million development project in Kansas City, Kansas that will include attractions like Margaritaville Resort, Big Shots Golf, an interactive museum, and the newly-opened Homefield KCK Showcase Center. Next to be completed? Put your toes in the sand at KC’s own Margaritaville spring 2025.
West Bottoms
Demolition of the Weld Wheel Building was the first step in SomeraRoad’s $526 million overhaul of the West Bottoms. The site will host ~300 units of multifamily housing and 10,000 sqft of commercial real estate, as part of a 22-acre micro village.
Phase one completion — which includes creation of a public square at Union Depot — is expected to finish by 2026, with total project completion planned for 2038.
