Old city jail property going to vegetables, maybe goats

This historic photo (date unknown) shows the Kansas City Municipal farm buildings and orchard. Soon thee site will be the home of a 100,000 square-foot hydroponic greenhouse Courtesy Kansas City Publlc Library- Missouri Valley Special Collectiions.

This historic photo (date unknown) shows the Kansas City Municipal farm buildings and orchard. Soon the site will be the home of a 100,000 square-foot hydroponic greenhouse. Courtesy Kansas City Public Library- Missouri Valley Special Collections.

Agriculture is coming to the Kansas City Municipal Farm site in a big way, officials said Tuesday.

The former city jail site will be the new home of a 100,000 square-foot hydroponic greenhouse that was to go in Riverfront Park.

BrightFarms, the greenhouse operator, and the city will soon announce the deal, Kimiko Black Gilmore, assistant city manager, reported to the mayor and city manager.

The previous deal to do the $4 million greenhouse by the river fell through, she said.

Also, the non-profit Boys Grow has leased 10 acres at the farm from the city.

The group that teaches city youth about agriculture, marketing and sales is still planning how to use the land, said John Gordon Jr., founder of Boys Grow.

One concept is to put goats there and produce goat milk and goat cheese, he said Tuesday.

They may also set up an education center on wetland property there, he said.

It would be in addition to the farm property and operation at their South Kansas City headquarters.

About a fourth of the 20 to 28 youths in the program each year are from Midtown, he said.

They will not grow anything on the municipal farm property this year, Gordon said, but will instead build up the soil.

“The soil needs some love,” he said. “It’s been a dumping site forever.”

The BrightFarms site will be on the other side of 435 Highway, where the dilapidated old jail remains.

The giant greenhouse will produce a million pounds of tomatoes, lettuce and herbs a year, officials said when it was announced for the Riverfront.

The greenhouse, expected to produce enough vegetables to feed 5,000 people a year, was to create 25 full-time jobs.

5 Comments

  1. Bennette says:

    This is wonderful <3 !!! I love seeing our Community work together to Grow our Community.

  2. Zach F. says:

    Great to see this happening. I worked on the City’s plan for this area a couple years ago. Check it out here: http://issuu.com/bnim/docs/sustainable_reuse_plan_issuu

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