MASSIVE Changes Coming to the West Bottoms

Table of Contents

1. Why the West Bottoms Matter

2. The Vision: $527M Over 15 Years

3. Phase One: What’s Already Happening

4. Historic Preservation Meets New Construction

5. Infrastructure First: Fixing the Bones

6. What the Redevelopment Brings

7. How the Vibe Is (Hopefully) Staying

8. What This Means for the Rest of KC

9. The Takeaway

1. Why the West Bottoms Matter

Kansas City has a complicated relationship with its past, so when you hear that the West Bottoms is getting a $527 million redevelopment, the natural reaction is: uh-oh.

Will this be another soulless makeover—or can KC actually thread the needle and modernize this iconic district without erasing what makes it magical?

The West Bottoms is not a dead zone. It’s First Fridays, haunted houses, vintage markets, and warehouses with grit and character. But beneath that charm? Outdated infrastructure—sewers, busted streets—literally built for horses.

This is the most ambitious neighborhood transformation in KC’s history. And in this post, we’re digging deep into:

• What’s being built

• What’s being saved

• Whether the Bottoms can become a national blueprint for development done right

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2. The Vision: $527M Over 15 Years

To understand where the Bottoms are going, you have to know what they’ve already been.

This was once the beating heart of KC’s economy:

• Stockyards second only to Chicago

• Railroads and rivers converging

• Thousands of cattle, freight, factory workers moving through daily

Many of the buildings—like the Molen Plow and Crooks Terminal Warehouse—still stand. But the floods of 1951 and 1993 hit hard. Industry left. So did residents. Vacancy hit 70%.

And still… the West Bottoms never truly died. Artists moved in. Entrepreneurs launched haunted houses and vintage markets. First Fridays became a pilgrimage.

That’s the paradox: decline and authenticity in the same place.

The new plan is massive—but it’s trying to honor the old while building the new.

3. Phase One: What’s Already Happening

Developer SomeraRoad is leading a 15-year, $527M master plan. And it’s already underway.

What’s in Phase 1 (by 2026):

• Molen Plow Building → 121 apartments

• Perfection Stove → Creative office space + ground-floor entertainment

• Crooks Terminal Warehouse → Activated ground-level to increase foot traffic

• Weld Wheel Building → Demolished due to structural issues (future site of “The Henning”)

Phase 1 totals:

• 400+ apartment units

• Thousands of sq ft in office & retail

• Ground-level public activations

Future phases (through 2035):

• The Henning → 290 apartments

• Boutique hotel in the Avery building

• Retail village for national & local tenants

• Cultural institutions + community gathering spaces

4. Historic Preservation Meets New Construction

This isn’t a generic makeover. SomeraRoad is preserving eight landmark buildings, and all new builds are designed to blend in, not stand out.

Think:

• Contextual materials

• Mid-rise height limits

• Architecture that complements, not competes

It’s ambition + restraint. Big money spent smartly, in sync with KC’s public infrastructure upgrades.

The big question: Can the Bottoms be transformed without being tamed?

5. Infrastructure First: Fixing the Bones

The West Bottoms can’t evolve without fixing what’s underground.

We’re talking:

• 100-year-old sewer and water lines

• Streets built for wagons

• A flood-prone landscape that has scared off insurers

Before anything goes vertical, crews are:

• Regrading the land

• Installing modern stormwater systems

• Rebuilding intersections, widening sidewalks, adding bike lanes

This wraps up in late 2025, and sets the stage for the real transformation: plazas, linear parks, and new riverfront access that makes the Bottoms livable, not just visitable.

6. What the Redevelopment Brings

By the end of the project:

• 1,200+ apartment units

• 50-room boutique hotel

• Retail + office space

This means:

• More foot traffic

• Local jobs

• Year-round activation

And while retail tenants haven’t been announced yet, the signal is clear: this won’t be chain-store central. It’s about serving both residents and visitors, not just one or the other.

Watch for ripple effects in adjacent areas like:

• Westside

• Columbus Park

• Downtown KC

7. How the Vibe Is (Hopefully) Staying

The West Bottoms isn’t just buildings. It’s vibe.

• First Fridays

• Haunted houses (Edge of Hell, The Beast, Macabre Cinema)

• Antique stores and weird treasures

Good news: they’re not going anywhere.

• Haunted houses = cultural anchors

• Antique markets = getting more permanent homes, not being pushed out

SomeraRoad seems to get it: the district’s value comes from its soul.

The hope? That the new Bottoms still feels gritty, strange, layered—and alive.

8. What This Means for the Rest of KC

This isn’t just a local story. This project sits at the intersection of:

• Downtown KC

• The Crossroads

• Berkley Riverfront

If it succeeds, it could connect the urban core in a way we’ve never seen.

Challenges remain:

• Transit access is thin (streetcar extension TBD)

• Affordability (over $8M in funding pledged, but execution matters)

• Construction risks (rising costs, inflation)

But SomeraRoad is staying the course, sequencing carefully, and aligning public-private investment.

If it works? KC gets a blueprint for historic redevelopment done right.

9. The Takeaway

The West Bottoms is getting more than a glow-up. It’s getting a second chance:

• To grow without losing its roots

• To evolve while honoring history

• To become the city’s most compelling mix of past and future

Even if you never live here, this project will shape:

• Where people want to live

• Where investors look next

• How KC sees itself in 50 years

So if you’re buying, selling, or relocating—and wondering how it all impacts your next move—reach out. Our team tracks every project like this one to help you make smarter choices in KC.

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Thanks for reading—and we’ll see you on the next one.

Hey, I’m Kyle Talbot—Kansas City real estate agent, content creator, and team lead of Moving to KC the #1 relocation-focused real estate team in Kansas City. We help people relocating to Kansas City—as well as local buyers and sellers—navigate the KC housing market with ease.