Troubling news is all around us these days, as Kansas Citians know all too well. So this is the perfect time to offer an upbeat column for your reading pleasure.
How? First by looking back at some progress made in recent years in Kansas City — and then looking forward to a few good things that could be around the corner.
With the right kind of leadership and a lot of hard work, the future could be bright indeed. And when that happens, it will be partly because voters, elected officials and civic leaders over the last 20 years have built a solid foundation.
I recently combed through The Star’s electronic archives to pull together a list of projects that, back in the early 1990s, were on the wish lists of many area residents. And guess what? Many have been accomplished, sometimes against long odds.
The naysayers who keep noting (accurately) the lack of long-term improvement in the Kansas City School District and bemoaning the city’s way-too-high crime rate nevertheless are missing important parts of the picture of what’s been happening in Kansas City.
Take a look at some of the major projects accomplished over the last two decades:
•Renovate Union Station.
•Build a new American Royal.
•Start a recycling program.
•Expand Bartle Hall.
•Build a downtown arena.
•Expand the Kansas City Zoo.
•Finish Brush Creek flood control and beautification.
•Upgrade the Truman Sports Complex.
•Finish Bruce Watkins Drive.
•Build Ilus W. Davis Park.
•Finish improvements at 18th and Vine.
•Complete the new streetlight system.
•Build the Power & Light entertainment district.
•Repair Liberty Memorial.
Added up, these projects represent investments of several billion dollars of public and private dollars poured into improving Kansas City, often because voters supported these decisions at election time.
True, many have had their share of problems — such as the costly continuing public subsidy for the Power & Light District and Union Station’s financial woes.
And some vital projects on long-ago wish lists remain undone, primarily building a light rail system and attracting development along the riverfront.
But it’s impossible to look at this list and not be impressed. Don’t forget that the city, far from bleeding population, has gained almost 50,000 people since 1990.
So what’s ahead?
Truth be told, there aren’t a lot of big public projects under way except for the $2.5 billion in sewer upgrades. There’s a recession going on, right, and the city is still paying down the huge amounts of debt taken on in recent years.
Still, here’s a short list of what should happen in the next few years.
We get a new mayor in 2011.
Voters reject St. Louis multimillionaire Rex Sinquefield’s attempt to kill the earnings tax.
A new, wider road through the Richard L. Berkley Riverfront Park area finally spurs riverfront redevelopment.
The city helps build a new downtown hotel without generous subsidies.
Development is jump-started in the old Bannister Mall area.
A commuter rail plan promoted by Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders gets federal funds and start construction.
Plenty of hurdles face Kansas Citians working on these and other priorities. Money’s going to be tight for years to come. That means we really have to set the right priorities.
But progress can be made. Remember, many people once thought Union Station was going to be bulldozed and downtown could never be revived.
Fortunately, they were wrong.
Reach editorial board member Yael T. Abouhalkah at abouhalkah@kcstar.com or 816-234-4887. He blogs at voices.kansascity.com. He appears on “Ruckus” at 7 tonight on KCPT, Channel 19
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