Tuesday, October 8, 2013

KU Architecture Students Create Projects Focused on Central Avenue

Technology will make our lives easier… That's what I've been told. :-)

It's been a little over a month since I last posted here. While it's true that I have had several personal distractions during that time, the events of one particular day led me to "back slowly away from the keyboard..." for a little bit.

Back in August, I had the pleasure of meeting a couple dozen graduate students from the KU School of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning. Following that meeting, I excitedly crafted a long blog post filled with lots of pictures and witty prose.

Then, just before I clicked "publish", I hit some key (still don't know which one) and the entire thing disappeared. Worst of all... no amount of "undo"or "go back" allowed me to recover any of my effort.

It was like an electronic version of "the dog ate my homework".

Well… I'm over that now and it's time to start talking once more.  :-)

Over the next few weeks, I'll devote several different blog posts to people and places along Central Avenue.  And that brings us back to the story of the students from KU.

There are three major "east-west" avenues in District 2
(Minnesota Avenue, Central Avenue and Kansas Avenue).
The red line shows the location of Central Avenue
within the boundaries of District 2.

Under the direction of Associate Professor Dr. Shannon Criss and Lecturer Mr. Matt Kleinman, the students were working to identify projects that could serve as the basis for their semester long "studio" assignment. They wanted a project that was real and tangible and not one that was academic and taken from a textbook.

Through a conversation with Dr. Jerry Schultz at the Latino Health For All Coalition, they chose the Central Avenue area inside District 2 (from i-70 on the east to 18th Street on the west) as the focus of their efforts.

On August 26, I was privileged to join Joe Reardon, Steve Curtis, Marty Thoennes, Daniel Serda and Rene Aguirre for an opening meeting and discussion with Dr. Criss, Mr. Kleinmann and the students. That meeting took place at the offices of El Centro on Minnesota Avenue. We discussed the history of the Central Avenue area, how it's changed over time, what it looks like today, and what we see as the challenges and opportunities along the Avenue.

One group of KU students visited CHWC in late August
to begin gathering data for their project.
Their instructor, Matt Kleinmann, is second from the right in the back row.
Following that conversation, one group of students attended a coffee at Community Housing of Wyandotte County for more in-depth discussion with residents, while the other group set up tables at the end of the CABA parade where they engaged parade goers in lively conversation and invited them to submit ideas and perspectives on how to enhance the area.

I was particularly impressed with Mr. Kleinmann's approach when we talked at CHWC. He really wanted his students to focus on "building community" rather than just engage in the technical acts of designing structures and planning projects.

The other group of KU students set up tables at the CABA parade
to engage residents and solicit input.
Who can resist popsicles??

This is one of many maps that the students used to help
residents focus on the neighborhoods around Central Avenue
and identify area or projects that they thought
would be excellent for a project.
The students plan to return to the area a couple more times this fall to share their works in progress and will present their final projects at the end of semester. I look forward to seeing the cool and innovative ideas that these sharp, young minds will generate! I'll share updates with you as they are presented.

Now, for those of you who either haven't ever seen Central Avenue or who haven't been there for quite a while, I thought I'd start a little guided tour. The area that I'll highlight today is the "far east end". There's been quite a bit of activity lately in the few blocks of Central Avenue that are east of 7th Street (between 7th Street and I-70). Here are a few pictures.


This large plot of vacant land sits on the northeast corner
of 7th and Central. It used to be filled with buildings,
but they were gradually demolished over the years.
Here's hoping that a new development will occupy this land soon!

Here's the southeast corner of 7th and Central.
What major intersection is complete without a fast food place?
Many people have told me that the food here is really good.

Here's the north side of Central just east of Tremont.
The RevolveKC bike shop is located on the right.
A new business, Ramos Upholstery & Custom Designs is currently
moving into the shop on the left (the FOKL sign is coming down).
They'll be open very soon!

What was old is new again!
Many long time residents of the area ate in this restaurant when it was Sophie's Deli.
Sophie's closed a couple of years back, but a new owner opened
Millie's Cafe and Catering a few months ago. Great breakfast and lunch!

This building housed a coffee shop for a while.
It's currently empty, but we're looking forward to a new business soon!

Here's part of the south side of the street between Tremont and 6th Street.
This row of shops includes (from right to left):
Angel's Dream Boutique, Jose's Barber Shop and the Parker & Parker Law Firm.

Here's the north side of the street at the corner of 6th Street and Central.
From left to right, there's a tack shop, Joyeria Estrella
(which translates as Star Jewelry) and Chicago's
(a recently reopened neighborhood bar).
The east end of Central Avenue is the gateway
to just about anywhere you want to go!
But don't stay away long because KCK is the place to be!

Have a great week!

~ Brian

bmckiernan@wycokck.org
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Thursday, September 5, 2013

Where's Waldo ... er, McKiernan?

Here's a little lighthearted blog entry for the shortened Labor Day week...

Evidently, my "phone in" participation in last Thursday's Commission meeting provided a bit of comic relief and sparked a spirited game of "Where's McKiernan?" (Similar to the old game "where's Waldo?"). The answer to that question was not (as some publicly speculated) the Chiefs game.

Here's the straight (if fairly boring) scoop...

My son, Pete, plays in a band called Breaking Even. They are pretty darn good (if I do say so myself as a proud dad) and on Thursday night the 22nd, they had the opportunity to be the opening act for a show at the Granada Theater in Lawrence that featured a well-known regional band plus a band formed by members from several nationally known recording/touring groups.

I told our staff that I was going to make the trip to Lawrence and would miss the Commission meeting (since my son's band was scheduled to take the stage at 8:00). Unfortunately, two other members of the Commission had already announced that they would be absent from the meeting. Oops!

Since I had already reviewed the agenda and thought that it looked like a fairly straightforward meeting, I told our staff that I could "leverage my technology" and participate in the meeting by phone from Lawrence while I was waiting for the concert to begin.

Setting up for the show...

The Commission meeting began at 7:00 as scheduled and I participated by phone from the driver's seat of my car (parked on a side street near the theater). The meeting went well (although I think my phone came through fairly loud when I un-muted it to cast votes).

However, as 8:00 approached and the meeting was still in full swing, I began to worry that things were about to go haywire. My son's band was only scheduled to play a 30 minute set, so if I wanted to see them I needed to get in the theater at 8:00.

I left my car, walked to the theater, gave the guy at the door my ticket and walked inside. My phone was still muted, so no one at City Hall knew I was changing locations.

Now, you need to stop for a moment and imagine what kind of a doofus I looked like standing in the lobby of the theater… An old guy in business casual clothes (I had several meetings at City Hall before I left for the concert), with an iPad containing the meeting materials in one hand, a cell phone in the other hand connected to a big pair of noise canceling headphones as I continued to participate in the meeting while loitering near the front door. LOL. :-)

Breaking Even takes the stage...just as a vote is called!

The folks back at City Hall were still engaged in a conversation regarding one of the items on the agenda when the band took the stage at 8:00. I thought I could sneak into the theater and see their opening number, but no sooner had I gotten inside the doors than I heard a call for a vote in the Commission chambers. I ran for the door of the theater, but I knew I was doomed...

not . enough . time . to . get . outside ...

I'm pretty sure that everyone in the Commission chambers clearly heard the group's opening number when I un-muted my phone to cast my vote. Yikes!

Sorry about that.   :-)   The meeting wrapped up about three minutes after that, and I enjoyed the heck out of the remainder of the group's performance.

Back to "serious" stuff next week… Have a great weekend!

~ Brian

bmckiernan@wycokck.org
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Monday, August 26, 2013

Wild and Crazy Idea for Minnesota Avenue

A couple of posts back, I uploaded several photos of the new MetroCenter transit hub at 7th Street and Minnesota Avenue and I advocated for finishing street and sidewalk upgrades on either side of the new facility.

Back in late July, I got a firsthand look at some excellent street improvements that could serve as a great blueprint for us. Along with several UG staff, I had the opportunity to travel to Grandview, Missouri where Mayor Steve Dennis and Public Works Director Dennis Randolph gave a presentation and led a walking tour of the ongoing "complete streets" renovations underway on Main Street in Grandview.

I'll post a lot more about that project later, but the one thing that caught my eye as we walked in front of City Hall was the arch that spanned the street. Here's a photo...




All the letters of "Main Street" and "Grandview" are illuminated by LEDs. Not only do they light up at night, but the color of the letters can be changed depending on the season of the year or the special event that is taking place in their downtown. How cool is that?

As I snapped this photo in the rain, I thought to myself, "Hey, we have an arch like that in downtown Kansas City Kansas!"

Here's a photo of our arch. It spans Minnesota Avenue between 4th and 5th Streets and greets visitors who are coming off the Lewis and Clark Viaduct and heading west toward our downtown.




I have to confess, I don't know anything about the history of this arch or who designed it or how it was funded/constructed, so I hope I don't make anyone mad with this idea, but I had a wild and crazy thought as I stood looking at our arch on a warm Sunday afternoon...

What if our arch proudly proclaimed "Kansas City, Kansas" to everyone heading west into our downtown? And what if the words "Kansas City, Kansas"glowed in the dark and could change colors depending on the season or the event? Wouldn't that be cool? Here's what such a sign might look like...


Just thought I'd start the week with a little bit of randomness. :-)

Click a link below to send me a message and share your thoughts.

Have a great week!!


~ Brian

bmckiernan@wycokck.org
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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

New McKinley School Will Welcome Students in 2014

The Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools (USD 500) is facing a wonderful but difficult challenge in the northwest corner of District 2.

McKinley Elementary School, which is located at 611 N. 14th Street and currently serves grades K–5, is no longer large enough to meet the enrollment needs of its service area.

Here's a map that shows McKinley's current location (blue dot)
and the area that McKinley currently serves (red lines).
(Click any photo for a larger view)

Here's the current McKinley School at 611 N. 14th Street.
It's been at this location since 1924.
The new school will be located two blocks north of this spot.

The current McKinley School was built in 1924 and has a current enrollment of around 200 students. The building seven classrooms, one shared library/computer space and one multipurpose space that is for PE, lunch, art and music, plus a modular unit on the parking lot that has two more classrooms.

Unfortunately, those facilities won't hold all of the students who should be attending the school, so some students have been traveling to other nearby schools.

Clearly, a new school was needed, but district officials faced much the same challenge at McKinley as they had faced at the Mark Twain Elementary School just a couple of miles to the west... where do you put the students for the year it would take to demolish the existing school and construct a new one?

Luckily, there was a full square block of vacant land just over the hill to the north of the existing McKinley School. The vacant land was owned by Community Housing of Wyandotte County (CHWC). They were preparing to build new homes on that site (which, ironically, would most likely compound the space problem at the current McKinley School).

This map shows McKinley's current location (bottom of photo)
and the site where the new school will be constructed (top of photo).

Officials from CHWC and USD 500 began brainstorming about potential solutions that could be mutually beneficial. Ultimately, CHWC and USD 500 reached an agreement to exchange their respective parcels of land.

USD 500 will begin construction of a new elementary school on the vacant land that sits between 13th Street and 14th Street (east to west) and between Armstrong Avenue and Ann Avenue (north to south). The new school building will be just over 42,000 square feet in size and will be designed to hold up to 350 students. It will have 15 classrooms, a separate music and art room, a computer room and media center. It will also have a multipurpose room for PE and a separate kitchen area for food prep.

This is the new Mark Twain School that just opened this fall.
Although the new McKinley School may not have the same design,
this gives you an idea of what the newest school in the district looks like.

The plan is to have the new school finished and ready to open in fall 2014. All the students who are currently attending (or should be attending) McKinley School will begin the 2014-2015 school year in the new building.

At that point, the school district will tear down the old school building and CHWC will build six new single-family homes on the site.

Dr. Kelli Mather, Chief Financial Officer for USD 500, said, "We are pleased to support [CHWC's] efforts in improving the housing as they support the concept of a new school in the community to draw more families in the area and support the existing families and students that must be transported to other schools due to meeting capacity levels."

Donny Smith, Executive Director for CHWC, said, "From CHWC’s perspective, we think the investment into the future of the neighborhoods (the children) is of extreme importance to the continued revitalization of downtown KCK.  Without quality schools, families will not make a long-term commitment to the neighborhood.  KCKPS is to be commended for making this significant investment. We are extremely excited to be able to work with the district on this project."

Thanks to both groups for their continuing efforts to make life better for families in District 2.







~ Brian

bmckiernan@wycokck.org
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Monday, August 12, 2013

MetroCenter Opens...A Great Step In The Right Direction

I'm baaaack....

Sorry about the long lag between posts. Wrapping up my duties at Rockhurst and finalizing the UG budget teamed up to take all of my free time these past couple of weeks.

However, both of those things are behind me now and I have tons and tons of blog material to send your way over the next few weeks. (I know, I know... you've heard it all before... but this time it's true... honest).

This past Friday (August 9) was a special day in our downtown. It's the day that UG and KCK representatives cut the ribbon and officially opened the Downtown KCK Connex MetroCenter at 7th and Minnesota (see a Special Edition of UG News for all the details).

Here's a view looking northwest at the transit center
and the intersection at 7th and Minnesota. Very impressive.
(Click any photo to enlarge for a better view).
Unfortunately, I was out of town on Friday at a meeting with the staff of a Community Development Corporation in Philadelphia (more about that in another blog), so I wandered down yesterday afternoon and saw it for myself. Wow! Very, very impressive.

The new MetroCenter is absolutely gorgeous. Located on the southeast corner of 7th Street and Minnesota Avenue, it will serve as the major eastern terminal of the State Avenue Connex bus line. It will also provide one spot where buses from KCATA, The JO and the UG transportation system are all available to riders. It's a significant step forward in the UG's commitment to improving public transportation in Wyandotte County.

We have heard loud and clear from citizens during the last two budget cycles that they desire and value a better public transportation system. The MetroCenter is a great step in that direction. Here are several pictures so that those of you who didn't have the opportunity to visit on Friday can appreciate the positive impact it makes in downtown.

Looking northeast from the south entrance to the MetroCenter.
A protected bus lane runs diagonally from 7th Street to Minnesota Avenue.
A new retaining wall marks the edge of the Huron Indian Cemetery.
Another view looking northeast from the south entrance to the MetroCenter.
Bike racks and comfortable benches enhance the new passenger shelters.
New signs at every stop have a map of the entire route along with
route schedules and real-time arrival updates on a digital display board.
The fully restored and functional Winkler clock
is a magnificent centerpiece for the MetroCenter.

Improvements around the MetroCenter include new street pavement
along with new curbs, sidewalks, traffic signals and beautiful landscaping.

The new landscaping includes safer and more visible crosswalks
a half block away from the transit center.

But not so fast... it's not all cookies and milk... with the opening of the new MetroCenter, I believe we have officially challenged ourselves to take care of unfinished business in the downtown. The MetroCenter is a FANTASTIC addition to our downtown and it's a great step in the right direction, but it's only one of many steps that I believer we need to take if we are truly committed to building the best downtown possible.

In the past couple of months I have had the opportunity to use two great light rail public transportation systems: the Trolley in San Diego and the subway / "el" system in Philadelphia. In each city I was able to easily and affordably travel long distances without the need for a car. This ease of travel greatly enhanced my stay in those two cities by giving me easy access to business meetings along with hotels, shopping centers and restaurants.

My experiences in those two cities tell me that our work is not done in downtown KCK.

First, I believe we still need to extend the street and sidewalk improvements in all directions away from the MetroCenter. The MetroCenter is located at the intersection of 7th and Minnesota, but the street and sidewalk improvements associated with it only stretch about a half block in each direction away from that intersection (as shown on the map below). Improved infrastructure will not only look better to residents and visitors, it should also help reduce our maintenance and repair efforts in the downtown.

This Google map shows Minnesota Avenue from 6th Street (far right)
to 8th Street (far left). The MetroCenter is located at the yellow dot
and the related street/sidewalk improvements only extend as far as the red lines.
Here's where the pavement transitions from new to old
at a point near the KCK Chamber of Commerce building
(west of the MetroCenter).
New streetlights at 7th and Minnesota...
...don't match those just a few yards further west...
...which don't match those a block further away.

Second, and just as important, I believe we need to increase the density and availability of quality, affordable housing in and around the downtown so that there is a "critical mass" of people for promoting higher public transportation ridership along with increased commercial and business development.

Third, I believe we need to increase the density and variety of office space and commercial business space in and around the downtown. In both San Diego and Philadelphia, I was able to get to great hotels, offices, restaurants and retail merchants within just a few blocks of the public transportation lines.

It definitely won't be easy. Money is tighter than ever and we'll be challenged at every step along the way. However, I believe that, if we value an improved downtown, we can continue to build powerful public/private partnerships to create a stronger, more vibrant and more prosperous community.

Here are my questions for you today:

Do you believe we should continue to develop the State and Minnesota Avenue "corridors" through our downtown?

If so, what features or amenities are important to you (e.g., streets, sidewalks, public transportation, parks, benches, housing, businesses, etc.)?

Feel free to click the links below to send me an email or drop an anonymous note in my suggestion box I'd love to hear your ideas. Have a great week.


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Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Strawberry Hill Museum Celebrates 25 Years

Another hidden gem in Kansas City, Kansas...

I had a tremendous evening last Friday (July 12) and enjoyed the hospitality of the Strawberry Hill Museum and Cultural Center (Facebook) as part of the month-long celebration in honor of the museum's 25th year of operation.




Located at 720 N. 4th St., this spectacular facility has a rich legacy of its own, but also celebrates the history and culture of the many Eastern European immigrants who have made Strawberry Hill and Kansas City, Kansas their home over the years.

The museum's web site says that, "The Strawberry Hill Museum is one of a kind because it tells the history of a victorian family, an orphanage and the various nationalities who settled in Kansas City, Kansas."


The museum and cultural center is perched high on a hill
on the west side of 4th between Barnett and Ann Avenues.
The original victorian house is at left and the orphanage addition at right.


An historical monument at the bottom of the stairs to the house
gives a brief history of structures.
(Click the photo to enlarge so you can read the inscription.)

Here's a brief history as taken from a museum brochure. (Full disclosure...a great deal of the text that follows comes from museum literature).  :-)

1887 - The Victorian home was built by John G. Braecklein for John and Margaret Scroggs. This was Mr. Braecklein's first commission. He was 21 years old. It was one of the most outstanding examples of the Queen Anne Style to have been erected in Kansas City, Kansas. The family lived there for 32 years.

The eastern slope of what was then called "Splitlog's Hill" was selected for the new home. The house sat elevated on a terrace 10 to 15 feet above 4th Street and looked out over the whole broad confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers. A stone wall contained the terrace with an ornamental iron gate bearing the letter "S" which is still there today.

The interior of the house was as fine as the exterior with stain and leaded glass windows, built ins, beautifully crafted woodwork, tile faced fireplaces and the use of lincrusta wall coverings.

The painstakingly restored victorian rooms of the original house
are simply stunning.


1919 - The St. John's Orphanage was blessed and opened. The Victorian home was sold to the Sisters of St Francis of Christ the King. The orphanage was in existence for 69 years.

In 1918, the influenza epidemic raged throughout the United States. St. John the Baptist Parish recorded 51 deaths that year and 71 in 1919. Many children of the parish were left without one or both parents. Msgr. Martin D. Krmpotic, Pastor of St. John's was determined to remedy this situation. He asked the Sisters of St. Francis of Christ the King to open an orphanage.

The orphanage was open to children of all nationalities, creeds and races. Along with sheltered care for the children, the Sisters operated a day care and nursery school program. Over the course of eight years, four additions were made to the original house but always leaving the main facade and ornate interiors intact.

This photo shows one of the sleeping rooms from the old orphanage.
Crowded, but open and airy at the same time.

1988 - The Strawberry, Hill Museum opened. The Sisters of St. Francis of Christ the King closed the St. John's Children's Home due to changing social needs. The property was acquired by the Strawberry Hill Ethnic Cultural Society to promote and preserve the ethnic heritage prevalent in Kansas City, Kansas.

In 2002, the museum received the Mayor’s Merit Award and in 2008, the museum had over 2,000 visitors. This earned the museum the Event of the Year Award from the Kansas City, Kansas, Wyandotte Convention and Visitors Bureau.


A view of the chapel from the orphanage days.

For me, one of the most interesting aspects of the museum was the cultural exhibits. Housed in what was the orphanage, this area features room after room and exhibit after exhibit celebrating the history and culture of the Eastern European immigrants who made Kansas City, Kansas their home.

The Polish-Americans were the first ethnic group to join in with a permanent display in 1990. Eight more ethnic groups followed over the next few years.

Here are just a few photos of these exhibits. You could literally spend all day here admiring the photos, reading the history and soaking up the richness of the displays.








In addition to  historical displays, the museum also features exhibits from contemporary artists. Kansas City, Kansas' own Mike Savage has paintings on display and for sale at the moment.

Always colorful and visually stimulating, these and many other
Mike Savage paintings are on display and available for purchase.

Here's an historic photograph that is hanging on the wall in the room where the Friday reception was held. I encourage you to click the picture and enlarge it to see the detail of what we lost when "progress" came to Strawberry Hill.



You can see St. John the Baptist Church toward the top left of the photo. It's still there today (next to the museum and cultural center), but it's now at the far eastern edge of the Strawberry Hill area. In this photograph, however, you can see Barnett Avenue stretching downhill past 3rd, 2nd and 1st Streets to the Kansas River.

All the buildings east of 4th Street were demolished in 1957 to clear space for the I-70 roadway.


Click this picture to enlarge it so that you can read the caption
on the photograph of historical Strawberry Hill.

The museum and cultural center is a not for profit organization financed through memberships, tours, donations, memorials and activities. Volunteers staff the gift shop, the tea room, act as tour guides and help with displays and activities.

The museum is open on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m. There is an admission fee that goes to support the continued operation of the facility.

There are also rooms and kitchen facilities available to rent for receptions, parties and meetings.


The view of the skyline from the front porch of the house
is absolutely spectacular.

Many thanks to all who helped create this wonderful facility and to all who work tirelessly to keep it alive and vibrant in eastern Kansas City, Kansas!


~ Brian

bmckiernan@wycokck.org
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Tuesday, July 2, 2013

PQ Corporation Puts Kansas City, Kansas on the Global Map

We'll file this blog post under the heading of "How cool!! Who knew?"

I bet the majority of people who read this blog have driven north on 18th Street Expressway between Kansas Avenue and I-70 and have not given much thought to the interesting tangle of buildings, pipes and machinery on the east side of the street.

This is the view of the PQ plant as you drive north on 18th Street.
The plant is east of 18th Street and just north of Kansas Avenue.
The large building at the left of the picture was built by the company
as part of a recent plant expansion project that was completed in 2011.
(click to enlarge)

I know I had...but after what I learned on May 16 of this year, I'll never look at this area the same way.

The land and the buildings I'm talking about belong to a company called PQ Corporation (or more simply "PQ").

With an official address of 1700 Kansas Avenue,
PQ Corporation is easily visible from 18th Street Expressway.
(click the map to enlarge)

On May 16, I was fortunate to be able to join a diverse group of people at PQ as the company broke ground for what will be a $128 million expansion of their facility that will feature state of the art buildings, cutting edge technology and up to 50 new jobs. Executives from PQ Corporation joined Greg Kindle from the Wyandotte Economic Development Council, Bridget Koan from the KCK Chamber of Commerce and Kansas Governor Sam Brownback to celebrate this tremendous occasion.

Partners on the project included the Kansas Department of Commerce, Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Public Utilities, and Burns & McDonnell. 


Now *that's* a construction crew...er, well maybe not.
Bonus points if you can find me and my non-calloused hands in the photo!

PQ Corporation is a leading global producer of specialty inorganic performance chemicals and catalysts. Their annual sales revenues top $1 billion. 

The PQ Corporation had its start in Pennsylvania in the mid-1800's and came to this location in Kansas City, Kansas in 1914. Since that time, they have been continually working to grow their business, improve their property and put Kansas City residents to work in cutting edge technology jobs.

PQ's many products all help create a cleaner and safer environment both here and abroad. Their products are used in a variety of applications in a diverse range of industrial, consumer and governmental end-markets worldwide. With its two principle divisions (PQ Corporation plus Zeolyst International), PQ operates over 40 manufacturing sites in 21 countries on five continents. They have one of the most comprehensive global manufacturing and distribution networks and they serve countless customers in the company’s many end markets.



There are currently about 100 employees at the PQ plant in Kansas City, Kansas. The newly announced expansion will add up to 50 new jobs when it is completed in late 2014. Although they have a global distribution network, PQ executives stressed to me that they are committed to keeping productive manufacturing jobs on United States soil and not simply "outsource" them to other locations around the world.

PQ hosted a picnic lunch for employees and guests after the groundbreaking concluded. As he spoke to the group, PQ Chairman and CEO Mike Boyce said, “The new capacity (from the planned expansion) will help PQ meet the growing worldwide demand for specialty catalysts.  We believe this investment demonstrates our strong commitment to the state of Kansas, Wyandotte County and the Kansas City local community and builds on the past success of our Kansas City plant and our highly motivated and productive team of employees.”

After the groundbreaking, PQ treated employees and guests
to a delicious picnic lunch on the plant grounds.

Even as they broke ground on this completely impressive project, company executives were already excited about future improvements on the plant grounds. Among other things, they look forward to beautifying the entrance to the plant at 1700 Kansas Avenue and to making it safer for trucks to enter and leave the plant at that spot.

In addition to being a top notch employer, PQ has also been a long time supporter of both the Armourdale Renewal Association and the Armourdale Optimist Club. Thanks to everyone at PQ Corporation for a century of commitment to District 2 and all of Kansas City, Kansas. We look forward to having you around for at least another century.


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