Beacon Hill, Troost Avenue move forward

The city council set the stage for new housing and a grocery store to rise at 27th and Troost, near the UMKC School of Medicine and Hospital Hill. Photo courtesty Wikipedia Commons.

A city council committee on Wednesday approved three measures intended to clear the way for apartments and a grocery store on Beacon Hill.

They go to the full city council today for final approval, and advocates say the projects are part of a wave of development that is remaking Troost Avenue.

“The goal is to make Troost not the dividing line it used to be,” said Leonard Graham, president of Taliaferro & Browne, Inc., an engineering and architecture firm that is a partner in the apartment project.

Construction on 123 units for UMKC medical students, faculty and staff could begin within two months, he said. They will provide 243 beds in a mix of two bedroom and four bedroom apartments.

The units near 27th Street and Troost are within walking distance of the UMKC School of Medicine and Hospital Hill.

Plans are also moving forward for an $11.5 million grocery store with up to 30,000 square-feet plus 10,00 square feet of retail.

Councilman Jermaine Reed of the Planning, Zoning and Economic Development Committee, also noted plans to upgrade the streetscape and landscaping on Troost from 23rd to 30th streets.

“We often talk about Troost being a dividing line in our city,” he said, but that is changing.

Councilman Jim Glover said the improvements are part of what has been happening along Troost.

“Individual urban pioneers have been deciding to spend their money fixing up houses people didn’t think would get fixed up both east and west of Troost for some time,” he said.

Comments are closed.