Paths, art, amenities: Construction continues at the riverfront
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As you enter on the streetcar. Photo: Travis Meier/Axios
Berkley Riverfront is still under construction, even now that the KC Streetcar extension and Grand Boulevard pedestrian bridge are finished.
The big picture: Port KC is working on trail upgrades, landscaping and a memorial, while developers are building new structures and artists are adding some color.
- Here's your quick hit of what's going on.
🏐 Volleyball courts: New stone blocks placed recently on the north side of the sand courts are keeping sand out of park drains and providing seating and dedicated entry points.
- Mounds of dirt facing the river will become grassy berms.
🕰️ Memorial project: A dedicated space remembering Richard L. Berkley is going west of the volleyball courts. The first phase is a retaining wall, which is already up.
- Berkley, the riverfront's namesake, was Kansas City's longest-serving mayor. He died in 2023.
👟 Trail work: Crews over the next few weeks will construct a concrete trail extension west of the Town of Kansas Bridge toward the barge terminal.
- The park's main waterfront path recently got about 10,000 square feet of new pavers.
- And officials are looking at extending the path past Bally's Casino into the East Bottoms.
🎨 Visuals: The MO River Murals fest over Memorial Day weekend brought in 100 artists and added about a mile of murals west along the levee wall. Port KC communications director Patrick Pierce told Axios it was the largest mural event in the U.S. this year.
- A curved, abstract sculpture called "Rivercloud" by Memphis artist Ben Butler is going up in the center of the park, and a new shipping-container mural is complete.
- Port KC is planning additional signs and wayfinding, plus landscaping and tree planting.
🌳 Founder's Park: Crews have poured concrete paths and erected a water overlook at the 2-acre park by CPKC Stadium
- KC Current spokesperson Dani Welniak says components will be open by mid-June.
🏗️ Apartments: Welniak says Current Landing, comprising two apartment buildings, is targeting mid-July move-in dates.
- The development will have at least four restaurants and shops, which will open throughout the summer.
- On the other side of the park, the second CORE building is shooting for fall.
What we're watching: Paid parking at the park will start June 1.