Mayor Lucas Tours Independence Avenue on Foot as Northeast Residents Press for Investment

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas spent Friday morning on foot along Independence Avenue, touring the corridor with more than a dozen residents of the Historic Northeast who wanted him to see both the strengths and the shortcomings of their part of the city.

The walk covered nearly four miles and lasted about two hours. Along the way, neighbors pointed out what they value about the area and what they believe the city needs to fix, directing their comments to the mayor and to one another.

Longtime resident Joseph Flores said one problem stood out right away: there were almost no public trash cans. He carried an empty coffee cup for several blocks before finding a place to put it. Near the intersection with Benton Boulevard, he spotted the first receptacle of the walk, which he noted came when the group was already halfway through. "Not everybody's gonna hold on to that cup like me for two, three blocks," Flores said, warning that others would simply drop litter on the ground. "You have to make stuff accessible for people," he said.

Letitia Torres, a member of the Lykins Neighborhood Association who has lived just south of the avenue for a decade, drew attention to the many vacant and boarded-up buildings. "What has happened to this specific area is insane," she said near Hardesty Avenue, suggesting people compare older Google Maps images with current ones to see how "the blight has taken over." East of Van Brunt Boulevard, near a BP gas station, she pointed to an empty parking lot that once hosted several food trucks and the "positive foot traffic" that came with them.

Carlos Ruiz-Finch, executive chef for Tiki Taco in Kansas City, grew up in the Northeast and still has relatives there. He described the area's international markets and grocery stores as among its best features but said it needs more investment. "You've either got gas stations or you've got car dealerships, like small-town car dealerships, and cash loans," he said. He added that the neighborhood has "some really strong bones" and hoped the gathering could produce ideas for revitalization.

Lucas said many residents raised crime and nuisance activity with him. He suggested that a neighborhood policing model could help address those problems without requiring people to call 911.

The mayor said the condition of the infrastructure struck him most. It was the first time he had experienced Independence Avenue as a pedestrian. On the far east end, he said, "it just didn't feel safe," citing a narrow sidewalk and fast-moving cars. He named widening the path as an immediate step City Hall could take.

When the walk ended at Columbus Square Park, Lucas said officials should get out and talk with residents more often, noting that he met many people who had lived in the community for generations as well as newcomers. "This is the sort of perspective you need," he said.

He also said the city owes the Historic Northeast greater attention and investment, pointing to its diversity, large immigrant population and growth. He said the area should be central to "our next phase of what Kansas City is," with density and more children attending schools near Independence Avenue and Truman Road.