Stantec selected to lead sustainable corridor redevelopment plan connecting Kansas and Missouri

Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering, has been selected to lead the Bi-State Sustainable Reinvestment Corridor project in Kansas and Missouri. The Mid-America Regional Council, the metro planning organization that oversees the region, chose Stantec to lead preliminary planning along the 24-mile corridor that connects four cities. The plan is funded by a $5.6 million RAISE Grant from the federal government and will aim to improve access to housing, health care, transportation, employment, and education for residents in each city and the surrounding areas.

“There is tremendous economic potential along this corridor, Kansas and Missouri, as well as across the wider Midwest,” said Adam Jones, Stantec’s project manager on the Bi-State Corridor. “This is a perfect time to make a long-term plan that takes a fresh look at improving transportation for the future and guides redevelopment using a regenerative planning approach in the area while prioritizing peoples’ livelihoods.”

Making a plan for the future
The 24-mile corridor includes areas within the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas; the City of Kansas City, Missouri; the City of Independence, Missouri; the City of Sugar Creek, Missouri; and Jackson County, Missouri. Sections along the corridor have varying and significant economic and infrastructure needs. Each jurisdiction has embarked on its own development plans, which are at different stages. Working with the Mid-America Regional Council and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, Stantec will take a more holistic approach to the corridor plan, which will inform land use decisions, economic development plans, and tie the jurisdictions together.

The comprehensive approach to corridor planning includes zero-fare and zero-emission transit, public infrastructure upgrades, energy-efficient housing, equitable transit-oriented development (TOD), area-wide broadband, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and workforce training associated with green stormwater infrastructure.

A strong transportation planning strategy will be an important part of the plan, including TOD and transit-oriented community planning. Evaluating the corridor for bus rapid transit and other mode options along the corridor will seek to create a backbone for the corridor and meet zero-emission and vision-zero goals through investment in infrastructure and enhanced policies and partnerships.

Ultimately, the plan will create a framework and land-use policies that help choose the right projects to support communities as they grow over the long term. This will help garner the support of public-private partnerships and government funding into the future.

“This plan represents all the communities along the corridor taking a step forward together,” said Ron Achelpohl, director of Transportation & Environment at the Mid-America Regional Council. “We’re excited to embark on this ambitious project together with Stantec and our many other partners.”

Stantec’s team will bring urban design, market analysis, community development, community engagement, transportation planning, Smart(ER) Mobility, civil engineering, and landscape architecture expertise.

Working with stakeholders
The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority will also play a guiding role, with strong collaboration from the other jurisdictions. Stantec will lead a team of subconsultants with unique and specialized expertise in the local market. Olsson, Hoxie Collective, Parson + Associates, Promenade Consulting, Porchlight Insights, and CFS Engineers will round out the Stantec-led team.

The project team will also be partnering with the University of Missouri-Kansas City, working with students in the Department of Architecture, Urban Planning and Design. Students will have the ability to create conceptual work for use in the real world, an invaluable experience with professional firms.

Related project work
Stantec is engaged in corridor planning across the continent. Similar projects include 25Connects in Cleveland, Ohio; the Lyndale Avenue Suburban Retrofit Strategy in Bloomington, Minnesota; and the Downtown Redevelopment Visioning in Allen, Texas.

Learn more about Smart and Connected Corridor Planning at Stantec.

About Stantec
Stantec empowers clients, people, and communities to rise to the world’s greatest challenges at a time when the world faces more unprecedented concerns than ever before.

We are a global leader in sustainable architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting. Our professionals deliver the expertise, technology, and innovation communities need to manage aging infrastructure, demographic and population changes, the energy transition, and more.

Today’s communities transcend geographic borders. At Stantec, community means everyone with an interest in the work that we do—from our project teams and industry colleagues to our clients and the people our work impacts. The diverse perspectives of our partners and interested parties drive us to think beyond what’s previously been done on critical issues like climate change, digital transformation, and future-proofing our cities and infrastructure.

We are designers, engineers, scientists, project managers, and strategic advisors. We innovate at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships to advance communities everywhere, so that together we can redefine what’s possible.

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Media Contact
Colin Nekolaichuk
Stantec Media Relations
Ph: 437-225-6384
colin.nekolaichuk@stantec.com