KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A $500 million restoration and revitalization project in the West Bottoms broke ground Wednesday.

This is a multi-phase project with public and private funding that is expected to span 10 to 15 years before full completion.

It will add more than 1,200 residential units, public green space as well as offices, hotels and commercial spaces to the neighborhood.

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“It’s walkable, it’s connected, it’s sustainable,” said Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Quinton Lucas. “It’s honestly one of the buzzwords we’ve been talking about in local government for the last generation.”

The city will begin the initial phase by focusing on improving infrastructure.

“If you walk around here today, you see flooded streets, sidewalks in disrepair, water infrastructure that we have needed to improve for generations,” Lucas said at the inauguration site. “It’s us saying, ‘Yes, we’ll finally be responsible for this level of work,’ and I think that’s what a good private-public partnership is.”

Developer SomeraRoad will follow with private development.

By spring 2026, the infrastructure phase is expected to be completed in addition to two private projects, according to Grant Hromas, SomeraRoad’s vice president of development.

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Hromas said SomeraRoad has a good idea of ​​who the first new tenants will be.

“A lot of people in Kansas City know them — they’re mostly local names,” he said.

Lucas said the project would be “transformative” for local businesses, and West Bottoms business owners agree.

Blip Roasters has been operating on the north side of the West Bottoms for over 10 years. Owner Ian Davis supports the project.

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“It’s always exciting to see new developments, new life, new energy coming to the West Bottoms,” he said.

SomeraRoad and Lucas agreed that maintaining the historic architectural integrity of West Bottoms was a priority. SomeraRoad said it would primarily reuse historic properties.

Historic preservation is something Jay Luschen, owner of West Bottoms Bicycles, trusts developers with. He says some of the people working on the project are his clients.

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“We like the atmosphere here,” he said. “It’s unique. As I always say, the world doesn’t need another central store.

Luschen is a Kansas City native and opened her store in West Bottoms 7 years ago. He said he has seen the town grow over the years.

“I’m also very proud of our downtown, of what it has become,” he said. “I think that will become another bonus to that.”

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KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.