Historic District Proposed for Downtown KCK Commercial Properties

Published on November 08, 2022

On Monday, November 7, the Neighborhood & Community Development Standing Committee heard a presentation from the Department of Planning & Urban Design about the proposed historic district nomination for Downtown KCK commercial properties.

The proposed district, to be reviewed and approved by the National Parks Service, would open up economic opportunity for Downtown KCK with new tax credits and grants to support development and historic preservation in this area. Historic districts typically perform better as an attraction for visitors and centers of economic activity.

The Downtown Kansas City, Kansas Commercial District is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria A for COMMERCE and COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT. The district is locally significant for its association with as the center of commerce, religious, and government functions that are essential to a metropolitan area. Within the national context of COMMERCE and COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT the Downtown Kansas City, Kansas Commercial District exemplifies the evolution of the American city in the Midwest. The period of significance for the Downtown Kansas City, Kansas Commercial District begins in 1882, with the date of construction of the earliest building in the district and ends in 1973 with the fifty-year cut off, as determined by the National Park Service. The district and its contributing resources have evolved with the ebbs and flows of the American economy and the district is representative of the evolutionary architectural and urban planning policies that have sought to address changes over time due to technological, sociological, or economic advances.

Join us on December 1 for the continuation of this discussion with the full Commission. In the meantime, please watch this presentation and the great questions from the committee.

Watch the Presentation to Standing Committee

Check Out the Proposed Map (as of 11/7/2022)

The proposed district map is still evolving as stakeholder outreach is ongoing but the Unified Government hopes to submit its nomination to the National Parks Service by the end of this year.