City Hall reopens plaza after nearly five years
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Step on up. Photo: Travis Meier/Axios
City Hall's south plaza entrance is back open after foundation deterioration and instability led to nearly five years of closures.
Why it matters: Kansas City leaders say the ribbon cutting on Wednesday was like reopening the city's front door, noting its historic significance as a site for community demonstrations and gatherings.
Catch up quick: The deadly collapse of a 12-story condo building near Miami in 2021 led KC officials to inspect their own aging parking garage below City Hall's plaza.
- Inspectors found aging infrastructure and water damage resulting in an unstable surface that could have buckled under a crowd. The plaza was closed off soon after.
- Construction lasted for roughly three years. The fencing was removed in late January.
What they're saying: "It's great to have the south doors open again," city manager Mario Vasquez said Wednesday, adding "it's a symbol of openness" to the community.
- City Hall's south steps are "a space where so many of our different government institutions and agencies come together," Mayor Quinton Lucas said.
Context: Lucas said the plaza and its steps have been used as a site for major political flashpoints, including civil rights protests in the 1960s and the killing of George Floyd in 2020.
- It was also the planned site of a gay rights march in 1990 and provided a space for KC Tenants to gain publicity and power.
Zoom in: Below the plaza is a parking garage used by select city staffers. Its central supports, along with aging electrical and plumbing systems, needed to be replaced.
- "The engineering challenge was a bit like playing a large game of Jenga," Pat Contreras, vice president of business development with McCownGordon Construction, said Wednesday.
- Other upgrades include ADA compliance, restoration of damaged stonework and fountains, and pedestrian lighting.
Fun fact: KC mob boss Tom Pendergast supplied the concrete for City Hall when it was built in 1937.
- "Thank God for Tom Pendergast," 1st District At-Large Councilmember Kevin O'Neill said Wednesday.
What we're watching: McCownGordon is also busy reconstructing Barney Allis Plaza seven blocks to the west, which has faced delays but is expected to wrap up by the end of this year.