KSHB 41 News reporter Braden Bates covers parts of Jackson County, Missouri, including Lee’s Summit. Send Braden a story idea by e-mail.
Children’s Mercy Hospital announced a $1 billion expansion project Wednesday, just a couple of blocks from where the new Royals ballpark will be built.
New Royals Stadium, Children’s Mercy expansion to be neighboring construction projects
The expansion will include construction of a new tower on the Adele Hall campus and expand the hospital’s capacity.
This will bring two major development projects to the same Kansas City neighborhood.
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Children’s Mercy announces new $1B tower to expand Adele Hall Campus in KCMO
With this being the second project in the billion-dollar range, neighbors shared their thoughts, including how the construction projects will coexist.
“We’ve got both construction projects on time to do for 2031,” said Robb Traylor, the Longfellow Community president. “They are both taking place on our northwestern side of the neighborhood.”
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He lives south of where the projects will be built, but understands what his neighbors to the north may soon experience.
“We’ve all seen the construction here in Kansas City, so it seems to be everywhere you turn a corner,” Traylor said.
Some of the neighborhood’s homes have small or no driveways, which means parking on the street.
Along with residents whose cars line the streets, UMKC medical and dental school students and staff also fill up empty parking spots during the day.
Someone who knows about street parking is Teocali Mexican Restuarant Owner Enrique Gutierrez.
“We’re going to be two blocks away from the Royals Stadium, two blocks away from Children’s Mercy Hospital,”Gutierrez said. “It’s been an issue since I opened. You know, when you have just one-way streets or two-way streets and a lot of residents here don’t have driveways, so they park on the street.”
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Gutierrez has been part of the neighborhood for two decades. Opening his family restaurant fulfilled his mom’s dream.
“We literally just stumbled across it, and here we are, you know, 20 years later, we’re still here going,” Gutierrez said.
When asked whether the area is ready for the influx of people both projects will bring, Gutierrez did not hesitate.
“I think we’ve been ready,” Gutierrez said.
He said he believes the initial shock of construction will subside over time. While maybe a short-term annoyance, he said building both Royals Stadium and an improved Childen’s Mercy outweigh any negatives.
Traylor echoed Gutierrez’s excitement for the projects and what they will do for the neighborhood. However, he’s advocating for the neighborhood’s residents before the projects.
“Where are all the workers going to be parking during these projects and things like that? Are they going to be shuttling them in? Are they going to carpool, things like that?” Traylor asked.
He said residents who rely on street parking should be prioritized.
Despite any concerns, both Gutierrez and Traylor said the neighborhood can work through the growing pains. They are asking developers from both projects to coordinate and limit the impact on residents.
“People navigate, people will eventually get Uber drives, people get Lyft drives, so we should be okay,” Gutierrez said.
Traylor agreed.
“Just something that we’ll have to deal with,” Traylor said.
The hospital’s construction is expected to start in the fall 2026.
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