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THE BRUSH CREEK BULLETIN Volume 6, Issue 7 September/October 2004   BLUE PARKWAY TOWN CENTER NEARS CONSTRUCTION Grocery Store to Anchor the Retail Development Swope Community Builders preparing ground along Blue Parkway and Kensington to begin construction of the long-anticipated Blue Parkway Town Center retail development. The mixed-use office and retail center adjacent to Brush Creek is scheduled to open next summer. Baron’s Supermarket will anchor the 156,000 square foot development. The 55,384 square foot, full service grocery store will feature a deli and bakery. It will be operated by Jim Lewis, president and owner of Lewis Foods LLC, who has been in the grocery business almost 20 years. Blue Parkway Town Center itself is the transformation of approximately 21 acres of unimproved land into a $27.5 million development. In addition to Baron’s Supermarket, other tenants include Subway, Popeye’s, Espresso Dell-Antra and Blankinship Beauty Supply. It is anticipated over 600 jobs will be brought to the area. The commercial/retail center is the dream of thousands of neighborhood residents wanting a descent, nearby place to shop. “We have been waiting for this for years,” said Dorothy Stroud, immediate past president of the Sheraton Estate Neighborhood. “We have wanted a first class grocery store, first class drug store, and a beauty salon nearby, instead of having to drive away from the area for these services. Soon it will be there, right down the hill and around the corner for so many people who live here.” Stroud, a former member of the Brush Creek Community Partners Board of Directors, also served on the Swope Community Builders (SCB) board. “We worked on so many things on the Community Builders board,” she said. “Chuck (Gatson, SCB vice president and chief operating officer) left a career in City Hall to do what he’s doing now. He has worked so hard. I don’t know anyone who could do it better.” Blue Parkway Town Center is scheduled to open in the summerof 2005. A Glorious Track Record of Central City Redevelopment This is the final phase of the Mount Cleveland Initiative, which Gatson has led since its inception in 1991. The goal of the $100 million plus urban revitalization project has been to revitalize housing and realize economic development in the area along Blue Parkway between Elmwood and Cleveland. It started with the development of the $27 million Swope Health Services campus at Blue Parkway and Cleveland Avenue, which includes the health center, the Imani House drug and alcohol treatment facility and the Thomas/Roque Child and Family Development Center all opening in the early to mid-1990s. SCB, formerly Community Builders of Kansas City, opened the $8.2 million, 85-unit Mt. Cleveland Heights town home project just south of the campus along Cleveland Avenue, in June 1999. It now includes a 90 unit multi-family housing project. In December 1999, the state-of-the-art H&R Block Service Center was opened at 4400 Blue Parkway, across Blue Parkway from the health center campus, to great fanfare. Built by Community Builders at a cost of $17 million, it is the second largest facility in this Fortune 500 Corporation’s national operations, bringing 600 seasonal and 200 permanent jobs to the area. In 2002, Community Builders completed construction and opened the $10.5 million FirstGuard Health Plan building just east of the health center. The first speculative commercial office site in the area in 30 years, it attracted a branch of Mazuma Credit Union to the Brush Creek Corridor. “I just can’t wait for the grand opening of Blue Parkway Town Center,” said Stroud. “I look forward to seeing all my friends who have work for so hard and so long for this to happen. I am very, very glad to see it being built.” Troost Bridge, Streetscape, Channel and Roadway Improvements Public Meeting Thursday, November 4, 2004 Rockhurst Community Center, Main Room 5401 Troost Avenue Open House: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Presentation: 6 p.m. The city and the design team will be showing the most recent plans for the bridge, streetscape, channel and roadway on a model of the area. Team members will be available to answer questions and take comments. Please join government officials, business owners, and neighborhood leaders in attending the Brush Creek Watershed Summit Wednesday, October 20, 2004 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation 4801 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, Missouri The Summit is a regional effort to foster increased understanding of the watershed’s resources, challenges and opportunities; strengthen commitment to regional policies, goals and watershed-based planning; create a framework for partners working in the watershed; and define strategies to overcome challenges and take advantage of opportunities. Sponsored by: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Johnson County, KS, City of Kansas City, Missouri and Mid-America Regional Council. RSVP: HDR, Attn: John Denlinger, 4435 Main St., Ste. 1000, Kansas City, MO 64111-1856, (816) 360-2740, john.denlinger@hdrinc.com.   BRUSH CREEK HISTORY Many readers of The Brush Creek Bulletin enjoyed the articles recapping Brush Creek’s history that we published earlier this year. From time to time, we will bring snapshots of the area’s history to you. Rockhurst College (now University) was chartered in 1910. To appeal to a largely non-Catholic community, the name of the Jesuit college was chosen to describe the area, “Rock” being the stony area and “hurst” for a nearby grove. Sedgwick Hall (above) at 52nd Street and Troost Avenue was built on what was then the outskirts of Kansas City; but growth to the south was anticipated. Historians have referred to the college in its earliest days as “the little school on the hill.” PARTNER UPDATES Mark McPhee, M.D., has been named chief operating officer of Saint Luke's Hospital effective September 1, 2004. He replaces George Hayes, who left in August to assume a hospital chief executive officer position in Colorado. Prior to this appointment, McPhee served as the hospital’s vice president for medical affairs and chief academic officer. He also serves as professor of medicine and associate dean for Saint Luke's Hospital Programs at the University of Missouri-School of Medicine. Neils Vernegaard is the new chief executive officer of Research Medical Center’s new senior management team. Vernegaard came to Research from HCA’s Parkridge Medical Center in Chattanooga where he was president and chief executive officer of the three-campus hospital system for HCA. Dr. William Osborne has been appointed to UMKC Provost. Osborne had served as interim provost since April of this year, and has agreed to serve for two years in his new position. Prior to joining UMKC in 2002 as the Dean of the School of Computing and Engineering, Osborne was Dean of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science and Ericsson Chair at the University of Texas at Dallas. G. Richard Hastings, president and chief executive officer of Saint Luke’s Health System has been named to Modern Healthcare magazine’s annual “100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare” list. Hastings was ranked No.19 in his first appearance on the list. It appeared in the August 23 issue, which also emphasized the growing importance of information technology in health care. Rev. Ralph Crabbe, a Faith-Based Fellow of the Applied Urban Research Institute (AURI), has been selected by Mayor Kay Barnes as the 2004 Citizen of the City of Kansas City in recognition of his outstanding civic leadership and commitment for Kansas City. Rev. Crabbe, former president of the Concerned Clergy Coalition of Kansas City, joined AURI in 2001 as an Institute Faith-Based Fellow providing support on a variety of faith-based projects. AURI is a not for profit community economic development intermediary that is part of Swope Community Enterprises. The UMKC School of Nursing has received a $750,000 award from the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to expand its Neonatal Nurse Practitioner program. The grant allows UMKC to double the capacity of its internationally accessible web-based program to enhance its efforts to alleviate the local, regional and national nursing shortage. They received one of only 38 HHS grants awarded to U.S. nursing schools through the Nursing Education, Practice and Retention grant program.   Celebration of Progress Prospect at Brush Creek Wednesday, October 27 10:30 a.m. Community leaders and community members will dedicate the new Prospect Bridge and celebrate the public/private partnerships resulting in revitalization of the heart of Kansas City. Public Welcome Refreshments served   PARTNER PROFILE Greater Kansas City Local Initiatives Support Corporation Mission Greater Kansas City Local Initiatives Support Corporation (GKC LISC) helps resident-led, community-based development organizations transform distressed communities and neighborhoods into healthy ones — good places to live, do business, work and raise families. By providing capital, technical expertise, training and information, GKC LISC supports the development of local leadership and the creation of affordable housing, commercial, industrial and community facilities, businesses and jobs. We help neighbors build communities. Outcomes More vibrant communities, healthier housing and commercial markets, safer neighborhoods, and engaged citizens by: providing direct assistance to community development corporations (CDCs); improving the community development environment through advocacy and other means; strengthening national support for local programs and activities. Facts As the largest community development organization, LISC operates in 300 urban and rural communities nationwide, including the greater Kansas City bi-state urban core. Since 1980, LISC has raised nationally more than $4.5 billion from the private sector and invested it to generate more than $11 billion in community development. Locally, GKC LISC has directly invested more than $75.2 million in grants, loans and equity through the community development system. In 2000, GKC LISC helped launch the Kansas City Community Development Initiative (KCCDI), the largest urban neighborhood revitalization effort in Kansas City history. More than 30 local and national funders have contributed close to $40 million. National LISC matches the local funding, contributing 52% of the money raised during the first three years. Key community partners: Kansas City Community Development Initiative (KCCDI), the City of Kansas City Missouri, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County, community development corporations, neighborhood organizations, foundations, corporations, financial institutions, government agencies and other nonprofits on both sides of the state line. GKC LISC Works Toward Tangible Neighborhood Improvements Like many nonprofits, Greater Kansas City Local Initiatives Support Corporation has what seems like an intangible goal — to help many of the most troubled communities regain hope; to help neighbors build communities. But GKC LISC knows there are healthier communities in urban Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri, because of its financial investment, business expertise and technical support. They’ve got the numbers to prove it. The Greater Kansas City Local Initiatives Support Corporation was one of several partners that made the FirstGuard Health Plan building at 4001 Blue Parkway possible. Former GKC LISC Senior Program Director Jim White (second from left) was among the many celeberants at the grand opening in May 2002. The building was developed by Community Builders of Kansas City, now Swope Community Builders. For example, through CD2000, an outcomes-based funding program to build the organizational capacity of community development corporations, participating CDCs underwent rigorous assessment and developed a strategic work plan with measurable targets. Four years later, the outcomes have been tracked and measured: Crime dropped an average of 27% where CDCs operated Community Safety Initiatives. The number of neighborhood programs offered by CDCs to respond to residents’ needs increased by 63%. Real estate values increased significantly where high-performing CDCs operated. “CD2000 is a promising model for other communities to use,” said Julie Porter, GKC LISC program director. “It has been shared with other cities through a “Best Practices Profile” by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation national office.” GKC LISC administers CD2000 through a major partnership with the Kansas City Community Development Initiative (KCCDI). KCCDI was launched in 2000 by a group of local and national funders to revitalize urban core neighborhoods, reawaken housing markets in targeted neighborhoods, build CDC capacity and empower residents to get involved. GKC LISC brings leveraged national LISC funding to KCCDI as well as expertise in community development. National matching LISC grants and loans have totaled more than $23 million in support to KCCDI in its first four years. Through the NFL Youth Football Grassroots Program, the NFL Youth Football Fund (NFL YFF) and LISC have partnered to provide organizations, and schools with financing and technical assistance to improve the quality, safety, and accessibility of local youth football and athletic fields. In Kansas City, GKC LISC has administered four major NFL Grassroots program grants to bring first-class youth athletic fields to the Derrick Thomas Academy, Central High School, Boys and Girls Club field and the Champions Sports Complex, which is being planned east of downtown. “We recognize that neighborhood revitalization is more than just building and renovating houses,” said Porter. “Parks and athletic fields serve as tremendous assets to neighborhoods for recreation, relaxation and education. They contribute to the quality of life, especially for our youth.” While a lot of organizations work toward improving the quality of life in neighborhoods, GKC LISC brings to communities significant financial resources through partnerships, grants and loans in addition to providing a wealth of expertise and technical support from its staff. — GKC LISC received the national LISC President’s Award twice and the 2002 REACH Awards for Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness from the Kauffman Foundation. Along the Brush Creek corridor, GKC LISC and Brush Creek Community Partners are working together to bring greater housing and economic development opportunities. GKC LISC, for example, has been instrumental in helping Swope Community Builders of Swope Community Enterprises build its capacity to improve neighborhood conditions. When national LISC board chairman Robert E. Rubin comes to Kansas City November 23, he’ll no doubt take notice of these results as well. Rubin, former treasury secretary under President Clinton and chairman of the executive committee of Citigroup, will be the keynote speaker at the 2004 Jake Mascotte Awards for Excellence in Community Development. Rubin plans to speak about the economy and the importance of business and civic leaders working to preserve and revitalize our urban communities. Contact Information Addres: One West Armour Blvd, Ste 10, Kansas City, Missouri 64111; Phone: 816-753-0055; Web site: www.liscnet.org/kansascity/