Photo courtesy Regional Transit Alliance.
By Joe Lambe
Kansas City will get a $20 million federal grant for its $102 million downtown streetcar line, U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill announced today.
The grant had been in question because of a pending state lawsuit that has repeatedly lost at lower courts but is still on appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court.
“This is fantastic news for the families and businesses in Kansas City,” said McCaskill, who lived in the Coleman Highlands neighborhood when she was Jackson County prosecutor.
“This streetcar project will encourage housing, construction, and business development in the city – and that will mean more jobs across the board,” she said.
Mayor Sly James issued a statement that said, in part: “This is a huge step forward in the continued renaissance of Kansas City…. I look forward to getting the shovels in the dirt so that our residents can see another deliverable from their government.”
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