The Historic Northeast Kansas City neighborhood, Lykins, is a culturally diverse, economically disadvantaged neighborhood located between Independence Avenue and Truman Road, Benton Boulevard and Hardesty Avenue. This neighborhood is conveniently located near downtown and the growing interest of the development community in Historic Northeast neighborhoods meant that Lykins, with just over 1,600 households and more than 200 vacant lots, needed a housing and development strategy to help guide conversations with the KCMO Land Bank and private developers. Our process studied the neighborhood’s assets and investments including local businesses, residential rehabilitations, city investment, social service providers, and faith-based community anchors. We also studied the challenges of the neighborhood, including crime hotspots, dumping, vacant, abandoned and unsafe properties, and polluting land uses. Residents and stakeholders formed Lykins’ first standing committee, the Housing and Development Committee.

To date, this committee has worked with the planning consultant to determine a focus area for development, provide feedback on performance guidelines for renovation and new development, and has attracted like-minded rehabbers and developers to begin property acquisition and project development. The planning process also employs four Lykins residents as community liaisons to expand the engagement process and attract a more diverse group of participants to the process. Current work includes defining measurements to track success on community goals, defining projects with developers, applying for predevelopment funding including funding for a part-time neighborhood staff to manage the housing redevelopment projects and begin a new workforce development program.