FOR FUTURE OF DOWNTOWN AREA, INCLUDING COURTHOUSE SQUARE
Some help for planning the future of Downtown Platte City is on the way.
Platte City has been awarded a $135,000 grant for a planning process for its downtown area. The grant does not cover any actual improvements, it is a grant only for planning.
The “planning sustainable places” grant, administered by the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), requires a $50,000 applicant match, for a total project funding of $185,000.
The geographical “downtown” area to be covered in the planning work is an area bounded by Hwy. 92, North Street, First Street, and Fourth Street, focused on the downtown business district and the courthouse square.
Platte County assisted the city in development of the grant application. The city is the applicant of record.
During the grant application process, the city and county informally agreed to each fund 50 percent of the local match. At a meeting last week, the Platte City Board of Aldermen approved a memorandum of understanding between the city and the county to each provide $25,000 in financial support for the grant. The MOU formalizes the funding agreement and establishes the conditions and process for the county to provide its $25,000 share to the city.
DJ Gehrt, former city administrator who is now serving as transition assistant, said the city’s planned street maintenance program, the formation of the Downtown Platte City Association, the planned relocation of J.W. Lewis Park and the various long term planning issues for the Platte County Courthouse combined to create a need for a long term vision for the original town site (Hwy. 92 to North Street, First to Fourth Street) focusing on the downtown business district and the courthouse square.
There will be a community-based process to identify infrastructure and aesthetic improvements to the downtown area; identify options for improving traffic flow, links between Downtown Platte City and the Kansas City Area Traffic Authority (KCATA) public transportation system; options to increase housing options in the downtown business district and the adjoining commercial conservation district and residential conservation district, and options for the new J.W. Lewis Park to feed into the proposed master planning process.
The structure of the grant provides for the city to select the planning consultant using a MARC approved qualification based selection process. MARC and the city will jointly negotiate the final scope of work and project fee with the chosen consultant.
MARC will contract directly with the consultant and will be responsible for administering the agreement and will make progress payments.
