Once dismissed as KCMO’s quiet western neighbor, Wyandotte County has methodically transformed itself into one of the Midwest’s most dynamic development stories. Its western edge has blossomed into Kansas’s premier tourism destination, drawing millions of visitors to the sprawling Village West/Legends entertainment district. Meanwhile, downtown KCK has sat largely overlooked, waiting for its moment. But that narrative is finally beginning to shift.
“The Village West area kind of takes care of itself now,” says Lavert Murray, UG Economic Development Advisor. “What we’re trying to do with downtown is to make our neighborhoods seamless– create true mixed-income neighborhoods where the physical facilities don’t define who lives in that neighborhood.”
With more than $800 million in new projects taking shape in western Wyandotte and over $325 million in long-overdue development now flowing into downtown KCK, the county appears poised for its next chapter of growth – one that could finally start to bridge its historic east-west divide.
WESTERN WYANDOTTE
Western Wyandotte County has no shortage of development. What began with 400-acres and a plan for Kansas Speedway and Nebraska Furniture Mart in 2001 has evolved into a massive entertainment district, attracting millions of visitors annually. The Village West/Legends area, has grown well past that initial 400-acres and has become Kansas’s biggest tourism draw.The area features major attractions like Children’s Mercy Park (home to Sporting KC), Great Wolf Lodge, the Plaza at the Speedway strip shopping center, and the Legends Outlets shopping center.
This growth in the area continues with hundreds of millions in new development underway, including the American Royal’s $350 million complex, a $150 million Margaritaville Hotel, the $487 million Mattel Adventure Theme Park, and Kansas’s first Buc-ee’s travel center. The district is also expanding its residential footprint with luxury developments like Legends 267 apartments, while the Kansas City Quilt Museum and Homefield complex cement the area’s status as a regional destination.
1) American Royal Complex – Northwest of Kansas Speedway (just east of 118th Street and State Avenue and northwest of the Kansas Speedway)
The American Royal, a longstanding Kansas City institution since 1899, is relocating from its historic West Bottoms location in Kansas City, Missouri, to a new complex near the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. This move, announced in October 2016, aims to establish a state-of-the-art agriculture showcase and learning campus, enhancing the organization’s capacity to host year-round events and educational programs.
Construction of the new $350 million headquarters commenced with a ceremonial steel column raising in Nov. 2023, marking a significant milestone in the project’s development. The 127-acre site will feature a 390,000-square-foot barn capable of housing over 1,500 horses or nearly 4,000 head of cattle, two indoor arenas, a 77,400-square-foot learning center, and a concert lawn. The complex is 60% complete and is expected to open fully in early 2026, with the potential to host some events in late 2025 if portions are completed ahead of schedule.
2) Margaritaville Hotel– Former Schlitterbahn site (northeast corner of I-70 and I-435)
The Margaritaville Hotel Kansas City is set to open in 2025. The $150 million project will feature 229 guestrooms with signature Jimmy Buffett-inspired décor. Amenities will include an outdoor resort-style pool, an indoor pool, family-friendly entertainment and activities, meeting and event spaces, retail outlets, and Margaritaville-inspired restaurants and bars.
The hotel is part of the larger Vacation Village development, an $838 million project that includes attractions like an indoor athletic training facility, Big Shots Golf, and an interactive museum. The Margaritaville Hotel is being constructed on the site of the former Schlitterbahn Waterpark, which closed following a tragic incident in 2016 and subsequent legal and financial challenges.
3) Home Field Complex – 9250 State Ave
The Homefield Kansas City complex, which opened in spring 2023, is one of the region’s most ambitious sports developments. Spanning 150,000 square feet, the indoor arena features 10 basketball courts and 12 volleyball courts, with the capacity to host major tournaments and training events. The complex also includes nine all-turf baseball and softball diamonds, completed at a cost of $55 million.
Covering hundreds of acres, Homefield is designed to accommodate future expansion, including potential indoor soccer facilities to complement nearby outdoor soccer fields. The development also features a residential component, with modern apartments integrated into the site to create a vibrant, community-focused environment. Its scale and amenities position it as a flagship destination for sports and recreation in the Kansas City area.
4) Mattel Adventure Theme Park – Bonner Springs
The company behind Barbie and other beloved toys plans to open Mattel Adventure Park in Bonner Springs, Kansas, by 2026. The family-friendly entertainment destination will feature attractions based on Mattel’s iconic brands, including Hot Wheels, Barbie, and Thomas & Friends. The park aims to offer a variety of experiences, such as roller coasters, immersive theaters, and themed dining options.
The theme park is expected to cost $487 million, and construction is expected to begin later this year. This will be Mattel’s second adventure park, following the opening of their first location in Glendale, Arizona. The Kansas park is expected to offer similar attractions, including Hot Wheels-themed roller coasters and a life-size Barbie Beach House.
5) Kansas City Quilt Museum – 94th and State Avenue
The Kansas City Quilt Museum developed by Kansas native Linda Houston is expected to draw 100,000 visitors a year. The project will feature exhibit space, quilting classes, and a variety of quilting-related programs. Inspired by the success of similar museums, Houston wants to create a hub for quilting enthusiasts. The museum will be directly next to the Home Field complex, although a timeline of construction hasn’t yet been set.
6) Buc-ee’s Travel Center– 601 Village West Parkway
Kansas is getting its first Buc-ee’s, a popular Texas-based gas station chain known for it’s food court, beaver mascot and clean restrooms. The massive 74,000-square-foot facility will feature 120 gas pumps and 12 EV charging stations, making it one of the largest Buc-ee’s locations in the country.
The $95 million development was approved by the Unified Government this year. Construction is set to begin in May 2025 and will take approximately two years to complete. Once operational, the facility is expected to employ around 200 people and is projected to attract over 4 million visitors annually.
7) Legends 267 Apartments – 1879 Village West Pkwy
Legends 267, a $54 million luxury apartment complex opened in Feburary just next to The Legends Outlets. The eight-story development spans 509,221 square feet and features 267 units above a three-story, 620-space parking garage. Beck-Cal Development oversaw the build which features include quartz countertops, a resort-style pool, fitness center, work spaces, courtyards, and social areas. The development features one and two-bedroom apartments that rent for $1,270 to $2,150 a month with 9-foot ceilings on lower floors and 10-foot ceilings on the top floor.
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT
While the Legends area in western Wyandotte has flourished into a thriving entertainment and retail destination over the past two decades, downtown KCK has faced persistent challenges in attracting new development and investment.
The stark contrast between these two areas has long been a concern for local leaders and residents alike. However, a wave of recent developments and newly announced projects signals a potential turning point for downtown KCK’s revitalization. From the Boulevard Lofts—the area’s first new apartment development in 30 years—to the ambitious $145 million Minnesota Avenue Triangle Project and the transformative $100 million KCKCC downtown campus, more than half a dozen major projects are now completed, under construction, or in advanced planning stages. These developments, ranging from affordable housing to mixed-use buildings and educational facilities, represent over $325 million in investment aimed at breathing life back into the historic heart of Kansas City, Kansas.
1) Minnesota Avenue Triangle Project – 4th and Minnesota Avenue
The Minnesota Avenue Triangle Project hopes to take a parking lot owned by the UG and transform it into much-needed downtown development. Through a year-long RFP process, the UG selected developer Flaherty & Collins to build a $145 million+ two-phase project at Fourth St. and Minnesota Ave.
The first phase, with a $73.8 million price tag, features a 12-story tower with 244 apartments that will break ground in May 2025, with completion expected in 2027. The second phase will add a low/mid-rise building with 228 units, bringing the total to 472 residential units. The project includes a concealed parking garage, nearly 27,000 sq/ft of ground floor retail space, and expanded parks that connect with the riverfront. Rent in the residential tower is projected to range from $1,075 a month for a studio and $1,980 for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit.
2) Kansas City Kansas Community College Downtown Campus – 7th to 6th Street downtown
The $100 million Kansas City Kansas Community College downtown campus spans two blocks between 6th and 7th Streets and hopes to transform the area. Anchored near the historic Seventh Street Methodist Episcopal Church, the project will feature a 100,000-square-foot facility combining education, healthcare, and financial services under one roof. The four-story building will house classrooms and labs for programs ranging from biomanufacturing to ESL, a Swope Health clinic providing medical and mental health care, and a CommunityAmerica Credit Union branch offering financial literacy resources. The development aims to boost economic activity and provide vital services to downtown KCK.
The project’s location has raised concerns about compatibility with existing social services, including the nearby Frank Williams Center and Wilhelmina Gill Center, which provide resources like hot meals to unhoused and impoverished residents. Discussions are ongoing about potentially relocating these facilities to create a more comprehensive service hub elsewhere, balancing the needs of vulnerable populations with the academic and professional environment the college seeks to establish. Construction is underway at the KCKCC downtown campus, and it is expected to be completed by June 2025.
3) City Hall Lofts & City Hall Place – 538 Ann Ave/ 810 N 6th
City Hall Lofts and City Hall Place are affordable housing projects developed by The Eagle Point Companies. Together, the two properties add 102 affordable units to downtown KCK. The Eagle Point Companies acquired City Hall Lofts to provide additional parking for their adjacent City Hall Place project. In the process, they converted all units for both City Hall Lofts and City Hall Place into low-income housing to qualify for Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and fund upgrades.
City Hall Lofts, originally a mixed-income development, offers studio, one and two-bedroom units ranging from 560 to 1,150 sq ft, with rents starting at $875/month. City Hall Place is a six-story, 73,690-square-foot building comprising 60 one- and two-bedroom units, with ground-floor retail space. The City Hall Lofts is currently leasing and City Hall Place is scheduled to open in 2025.
4) Town House Apartments – 1021 N 7th St
A historic property that received a $40 million investment in recent years to restore and modernize the building. When built in 1951, it was an exclusive downtown hotel but has since been converted to provide affordable senior (55+) housing. The 13-story tower still has some of the building’s original opulent features but today offers modern one and two-bedroom apartments.
5) Boulevard Lofts – 800 Washington Boulevard
Boulevard Lofts was the first new apartment development in the downtown area in 30 years. The $15 million complex, completed in late 2023 after a four-year construction period delayed by COVID-19, offers 50 units ranging from one to three bedrooms (704 to 1,410 square feet). The project emerged from a partnership between Riverstone Platform Partners and Community Housing of Wyandotte County (CHWC), transforming a previously blighted five-acre property that contained five dilapidated buildings.
The development stands out for its innovative features and challenges. While designed to be architecturally comparable to market-rate properties, the complex includes forty affordable units for residents earning 40-60% of the area’s median income, with rents ranging from $650 to $1,275, and ten market-rate units ranging from $995 to $1,400. The development also features urban agriculture, including an apple orchard, pear and pecan trees, berry bushes, raised garden beds, and a commercial kitchen and clubhouse for community programming.
6) Y Lofts – 900 N. 8th St
The Y Lofts is a senior housing development that transformed the historic YMCA building into a residential community for individuals aged 55 and older. The project offers studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments, each featuring fully equipped kitchens and high-speed internet access.
The redevelopment faced significant delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturns, which impacted construction timelines and financial planning. Despite these challenges, the project was completed in April 2024, preserving unique architectural elements of the original YMCA structure, including the basketball court and distinctive interior finishes.
Y Lofts shares ownership with Boulevard Lofts, and both projects aim to provide high-quality, affordable housing options in the area.
7) Jack Reardon Convention Center Redevelopment – 510 Minnesota Ave
Developer Willie Lanier Jr.’s $25 million proposal, which would receive $9.5 million in tax incentives over 20 years, aims to transform the dormant downtown convention center into a mixed-use development.
The proposed development would replace the existing 30,000-square-foot convention center with two residential buildings containing up to 100 market-rate apartments, 7,000 square feet of retail space, and a downsized 7,500-square-foot convention hall. Under the agreement, the Unified Government would pay $1 million from a maintenance fund to secure access to the new convention space for at least 10 annual events at a 50% rental discount.
The project has faced multiple setbacks since its initial 2020 approval, including opposition from Mayor Tyrone Garner over the loss of conference space and ongoing challenges in securing private financing. The project received another extension in April 2024, with the county commissioners voting to extend the development agreement for nine months. If Lanier secures the necessary financing during this extension period, construction is expected to take 14 months to complete.
8) MERC Co+Op – 501 Minnesota Ave
MERC Co+op, formally known as Community Mercantile, expanded to KCK during the COVID-19 pandemic. The grocery store was a collaborative effort between MERC Co+op, which wanted to open a second location but lacked funding, and the Unified Government, which needed an operator for a new grocery store to combat a food desert.
Financing of the project came through multiple sources. LISC Kansas City provided low-cost capital, while additional funding came through the Healthy Food Financing Initiative and $1.42 million in General Obligation Bonds issued by the Unified Government. The funding supported the store’s development and enabled MERC Co+op to hire an outreach coordinator specifically for community engagement in Kansas City.
What distinguishes the MERC from a traditional grocery store is its cooperative ownership model and community-focused approach. As the only co-op grocery store in Northeast Kansas, MERC Co+op allows residents to become co-op owners through a $75 equity investment (reduced to $10 for EBT and WIC users). The store places emphasis on providing affordable, healthy food options while ensuring livable wages for workers, including health benefits for full-time employees.
