Kansas City gets millions to clean up and build up Washington Wheatley neighborhood
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Just over 20 years ago, the Berkley Riverfront was little more than a polluted, forgotten patch of land. Today, it’s one of Kansas City’s crown jewels—home to trails, green space, and the world’s first stadium built specifically for women’s soccer.
The same goes for the Mattie Rhodes Center on the Westside. What used to be a dumping ground filled with car parts and hundreds of old medicine bottles is now a thriving community hub with art exhibits, tamale festivals, and after-school programs for kids.
“A lot of overgrown grass and weeds, and individuals sleeping in those weeds, was very unsafe,” said John Fierro, President and CEO of Mattie Rhodes. “I call it the community’s center.”
Those are the kinds of success stories Kansas City is hoping to repeat in the Washington Wheatley neighborhood. This week, the city received $6 million from the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up and redevelop brownfield sites — places where industrial pollution or contamination has made it difficult to build or grow.
About $4 million of that funding will go directly toward 47 vacant lots near 18th and Agnes, the site of the former Benson Manufacturing plant. The company, which once made airplane parts, left behind contamination like lead in the soil. Before anything new can be built, the land has to be cleaned up.
And what comes next could be big for the neighborhood.
The city’s early plan includes developing affordable, single-family homes on the site. What makes this project unique is that it’s tied to the city’s Land Bank, according to Councilwoman Melissa Patterson-Hazley, which helps convert vacant or tax-delinquent properties into opportunities for new housing and businesses.
Patterson-Hazley represents the area. She said the goal is bigger than just building homes—it’s about building with intention.
“This is a milestone in restoring neighborhoods that have long been overlooked,” she said. “With this EPA investment, we’re taking a major step toward transforming once-blighted vacant lots into vibrant, livable spaces.”
Longtime Washington Wheatley resident Eden McCallop wants to see the vacant land developed — if it’s done with the community in mind.
“It’s actually gotten better over the years,” McCallop said. “So if we can just have more independent investors coming over here and just helping out with the areas, I think that’d be great.”
McCallop’s family has owned land in the neighborhood for generations, and he wants to see it thrive without losing its roots.
The EPA’s funding will also give a $2 million boost to Kansas City’s Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund, which s cleanup efforts across the city through low-interest loans and subgrants.
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