‘An eyesore for years’: Public market to breathe new life in historic Northeast
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Construction on a public market is about to begin in the historic northeast neighborhood.
The Historic Northeast Market will sit on the 22-acre property at Independence Avenue and Hardesty.
It will include 395 low-income housing units, offices, and retail spaces.
Along with a 29,000-square-foot public market designed to empower local entrepreneurs, celebrate cultural diversity, and create a space that will serve as the heartbeat of the community. There will also be a daycare and a fitness facility, and everything will be solar-powered.
“As a historic northeast resident myself, I’m really excited to see how this transforms the community,” said Carmen Copp, CEO of Nomad Developments. “We’ve all heard of the broken window theory, where neglect begets neglect. But, the opposite is certainly true in that when you build something like this, and you invest in the community in this way, it definitely builds community pride. I think this community really deserves it after decades of disinvestment.”
Copp said they aren’t tearing any buildings down on the property but are using their historic uniqueness to build up and revitalize the area.
“I think people in the community have thought, ‘Is anything ever going to happen here?’ And yes, it’s actually happening,” Copp said.
Some families in the community are excited about the new development.
“It’s just an eyesore that’s been sitting here for years,” Crystal Brown said.
Brown is a mom and said there are not a lot of safe places to walk with your kids and enjoy the area as a family.
“When you have people lying on the sidewalk sleeping or under the bridge asleep, or anywhere asleep other than the home, something has to be done,” Brown said. “My first thought was, is there going to be affordable housing?”
The project is expected to be completed in 2027. If you are a local vendor and would like more information, you can Copp here.
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