The City of Kansas City, Missouri, Parks and Recreation Department and the Kansas City Downtown Council’s Greenspace Committee plan to revitalize downtown’s Washington Square Park. They invite residents to share ideas for improvements through KC Momentum, the City’s virtual town hall. Join the conversation at www.kcmomentum.com.
Located at Pershing Road and Grand Boulevard, the five-acre Washington Square Park boasts pathways, a plaza and seating areas surrounded by trees, grass and flowers. The park is well known for its iconic statue of George Washington on horseback and its new Missouri Korean War Veterans Memorial.
“Washington Square Park really is a hidden gem,” said Heather Runkel, Parks and Recreation project manager. “It gets a lot of use with races and special events, but on a day-to-day basis many people do not realize it is there due to its dense trees. The park is ideally located near Union Station, Liberty Memorial, Crown Center, art galleries, restaurants and lofts. It’s also close to the southern point of the new streetcar starter line, making it prime for revitalization. It could become a grand civic space.”
To maximize the park’s potential, the City encourages residents to share ideas on KC Momentum, an interactive website that acts as a virtual town hall. The City uses KC Momentum to receive public input to help make City decisions on a wide range of services and programs that impact the quality of life in Kansas City, Missouri.
“It’s important that we have active participation by as many residents as possible when working on City projects,” said Mark McHenry, director of Parks and Recreation. “The community, quality of life, strength and viability of our city cannot be successful without individual people to help us.”
KC Momentum is currently seeking public input on the following topics:
- Features you think would attract more visitors to Washington Square Park
- Your favorite park activities
- Benefits you would like Washington Square Park to bring to our community
- Your favorite places for leisure and recreation in our community
- Parks/greenspaces locally, nationally or even internationally from which we can draw inspiration
- Washington Square Park’s benefits to our community
- Areas within Kansas City that need more access to open space
- How residents enjoy Kansas City parks
To learn more about KC Momentum, or to join in the conversation online, visit www.kcmomentum.com.
Learn more about Washington Square Park at http://kcparks.org/park/washington-square-park/.