Happy New Year, Kansas City!!
The upcoming 2025 year is bound to be a wild one – if you’re not deported or sent to one of Elon Musk’s battery mines. While the major focus of a lot of these types of columns you’ll be reading will be on the national spotlight, I’d like to keep it a bit more local.
2025 is set to be one of the most formative years in Kansas City history as we ramp up toward the 2026 World Cup as a host city. Much of the payoff for 2025 actually won’t be felt until 2026.
I mentioned the World Cup. This is going to require billions of dollars of infrastructure and gussying up. So enjoy those orange cones. 2025 will be full of them.
Also coming in 2026 will be a few things Platte Countians will be very interested in – both at the Legends area down I-435. The first is the Mattel Adventure Park. Think Disney World, but sort of affordable. If you’re a Hot Wheels or Barbie fan, this is going to be pretty great.
Then expect to see the new Margaritaville resort go up in late 2025/early 2026. Nothing says Margarativille to me like Wyandotte County and BBQ.
The other is the Buc-ees “gas” station opening up at I-70 and West I-435. I reflect my life in two ways. Before Buc-ees, and after Buc-ees. It is a transformative experience. Beyond a gas station, it is like a Cracker Barrel had sex with a QuikTrip and gave birth to a Disney World gift shop. You have to see it to believe it.
Get ready, Platte. All just a few exits away from you.
Closer to town, you’ll see two new legs of the Kansas City Streetcar. The first will go from downtown all the way to UMKC, stopping near Westport and the Plaza. The other leg will run north over to Berkley Park and CPKC Stadium – home of the KC Current. There is going to be a TON of new development along the river there. So, you can probably guarantee the next 100 year flood to happen soon.
But it does look really nice down there and all it needs are a few shops, restaurants, and a grocery store to make a really tempting place to live.
And right here in Platte City, you can expect to have that Platte City water tower fixed!! (Maybe) (Eventually) (Someday.)
Mix in the annual Chiefs Super Bowl parade and all of the construction during the build up to 2026, and you’re likely to have a pretty eventful year here in town.
Between Wyandotte County and Jackson County, you’re bound to see something crazy. I recognize that Platte County is kind of taking a breather after opening the new (and widely loved) KCI Airport. But let’s not sleep on the county, okay? Start planning now for that new sports complex/gas station/children’s toy themed restaurant/rollercoaster attraction. 2026 will be here before you know it!!
From all of us to all of you, have a happy and prosperous New Year!!
(Get more new year thoughts and observations from our man Chris Kamler on the X machine–better known as Twitter–where you can find him as @chriskamler)
