| Greetings!
Welcome to the inaugural edition of the East Campus News. This newsletter is brought to you by the collective project team responsible for the design, management and construction of the Kansas City Police Department's new East Patrol Station and Crime Lab Campus, planned for 27th Street and Prospect Avenue in the City's Third District.
Thank you for your interest in the East Campus project.
|
|
Success Reflects on Neighborhood
The new East Patrol Station and Crime Lab Campus will be more than a police station. It will be a monument to the dedication and cooperation of the citizens of the Third District. From the beginning, the City has worked to keep informed those neighbors who would face the most impact from this project.
Over the last five months, City staff has held meetings every Thursday to directly address property owners' concerns and answer questions one-on-one. My office has worked with our neighbors in the Third District to make sure that their best interests are served, and we have seen the result of that ongoing dialogue as we move forward during land acquisition. Right-of-way agents will continue to work to make sure that this process is fair, and the City will continue to keep you updated through the right-of-way and construction process.
Starting this month, community meetings take place every month on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the Lucile H. Bluford Library, 3050 Prospect Avenue.
Thank you so much for your contribution to the future of the Third District.
~ Councilwoman Melba Curls, Third District-at-large
|
|
Making Progress
City of Kansas City, Mo., staff marked a major milestone recently, as 65 percent of the property owners within the four-block area near 27th Street and Prospect Avenue have accepted offers for their property from the City. Property owners who accepted the City's offer will receive settlement checks over the next few weeks, and the weekly meetings will continue to answer property owners' questions.
The East Campus project will replace the existing, outdated East Patrol Station with an updated, 15-acre campus site, as well as providing facilities for a new regional crime lab and storage space for storage of property and evidence. Demolition and reclamation of buildings on the four-block site will begin later this year. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2012, and it is currently estimated that the project will be complete in 2015.
|
|
|
|
|
Section 3 Jobs Available
The City and the Police Department are making every effort to make the East Campus a positive catalyst for economic development in the Third District, and, with your help, we can make that happen.
This project recently received a Section 3 designation through the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, a program that provides job and contract opportunities for low and very-low income residents of Kansas City. As such, the City wants to identify, train, and employ workers from the neighborhood. Recently, more than 22,500 postcards were mailed to every resident and business within a two-mile radius of 33rd and Benton Blvd., and fliers are available for distribution at key hub locations and to community groups, churches, and other locations in the target area. Here's how you may become certified as a Section 3 resident or Section 3 business concern:
1) Go to the "Section 3" office in the 18th & Vine District to pick up the application (applications cannot be emailed). The Small Business Division is located at 1601 East 18th St, 2nd Floor, Kansas City, MO 64108. The main phone is 816.513.6817.
2) Fill out the application completely and return it, along with the other requested documents, to the Small Business Division. All applications must be returned in person and cannot be submitted by mail or email.
3) Applicants are encouraged to call for an individual appointment before returning their completed Section 3 application.
Please note that the certification process may take up to one month from the time you submit your documents. While a job or contract is not guaranteed, this is an opportunity to submit your application to work on one of the largest City construction projects to get underway this year. Don't miss this opportunity.
~ Councilman Jermaine Reed, Third District
|
|
Want to know more about the project?
Stay updated and learn more about how to get involved with the new East Campus project by visiting the project website at www.saferkc.com/east.
For questions related to the construction of the East Campus, contact Sgt. Mark Stinson, Capital Improvements Unit, KCPD, at 816.457.4955.
|
|
|
|
Community Meetings
When: 2nd & 4th Thursdays of every month, 5:30-6:30pm
Where: Lucile H. Bluford Library Community Room, 3050 Prospect Avenue.
What is the East Campus?
The $57 million East Patrol Station and Crime Lab campus will have a significant economic impact on Kansas City's eastside citizens and businesses, while also benefiting the City's taxpayers.
It is funded by Kansas City's 2010 Public Safety Sales Tax Renewal. The East Campus represents an unprecedented investment in the Third District of Kansas City, Missouri.
The East Campus will feature a police division station, a multi-purpose building, a state-of-the-art crime lab, and a property and evidence repository.
The Crime Lab will be better located to collect crime scene evidence and is in closer proximity to the Courts. Other benefits are the site's close proximity to Hwy. 71, and how accessible the site is to people traveling by foot, bike, car or bus.
The centralized location also serves as a redevelopment catalyst for Prospect Avenue.
Timeline
There will be construction workers in the area for the two years the project is underway, and the City is working with HUD to be sure low-income residents and businesses benefit.
The KCPD Capital Improvements Unit is currently working with Helix Architecture to design the East Campus.
The master planning process has come to a conclusion, and more detailed design has begun.
A project of this size takes time, but it is currently estimated that the project will be complete and fully operational in 2015.
|
|
