Kansas City’s Streetcar: The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Kansas City announced yesterday that it might be getting its first high-rise office tower since 1991, and you guessed it, it’s right on the route of the incredibly successful streetcar.

This 25-story building could house 1,001 jobs, not to mention the 650 construction jobs to complete it. In all, it’s a $94 million development for the city. Not only that, but the developer’s proposal has the city saving $30 million in reduced parking construction requirements.

The KC Streetcar keeps exceeding expectations. It has experienced six consecutive months of ridership growth this year, and the streetcar is credited with making the city the first in the nation for job accessibility. Nearly 70 percent of employees in the Kansas City area have a commute of less than 30 minutes.

Kansas City is also positioning itself as a travel destination – two new hotels are scheduled to open in the next couple of years near the streetcar route. If you have plans of heading to KC, you won’t be alone. National Geographic named the city one of its Best Trips in 2019.