Kansas City, Missouri – Last week, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas joined residents, community leaders, and local officials to celebrate the start of the long-awaited Parade Park Homes redevelopment project. The occasion was a significant moment for one of the first Black cooperative housing developments in the country. It is located near the 18th and Vine District, which is very important to Kansas City’s cultural and civil rights history.
The $300 million restoration will turn the old complex into a lively community with people of all income levels and 1,100 new affordable residences. The goal of the project is to protect the neighborhood’s history while also giving current and previous residents a chance to come back and do well.
“We are breaking ground on a promise to honor Parade Park’s extraordinary legacy while securing its future,” said Mayor Lucas. “The Parade Park community has been a cornerstone of Black heritage in Kansas City, and we are committed to ensuring it remains strong for the following generations.”
The new building will have both senior-friendly apartments and family housing. It will focus on making the units easy to get to, affordable, and connected to the neighborhood. Once redevelopment is done, former residents will have first dibs on returning. This is a critical promise to keep the neighborhood’s original spirit alive.
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Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II, who has long fought for fair redevelopment, praised the cooperation between federal, city, and community groups that made the project feasible.
“This site has long been a cornerstone of Kansas City’s community and a symbol of our shared history,” Cleaver said. “Today’s groundbreaking represents more than new housing; it represents a renewed commitment to the families who have called this neighborhood home for generations.”
Councilwoman Melissa Patterson Hazley elaborated how important the area was to her personally.
After the groundbreaking, everyone went to a community celebration with food, music, and the presenting of bricks in memory of prior homeowners and their lasting connection to Parade Park Homes.
The City’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Shared Success Fund, as well as the Central City Economic Development Fund are helping to pay for the revitalization. The new Parade Park Homes Future Fund will make sure that the community continues to invest in and support future development phases.
