Kansas City to Celebrate Westside Infrastructure Improvements

For Immediate Release: Monday, June 15, 2026

Kansas City is holding a ceremony to celebrate the completion of multiple infrastructure projects in the Westside. The projects include the Southwest Boulevard Streetscape, upgrades to the public parking lots under the I-35 bridge, and the "Las Tarascas" Statue Plaza.

When: Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at noon

Where: Las Tarascas Statue Plaza at the intersection of SW Boulevard and W Pennsylvania Avenue (in front of the Crossroads Westside Apartments at 601 Avenida Cesar E Chavez)

Parking: Attendees park in the public parking lots under the I-35 bridge

Agenda: Remarks will be delivered by Mayor Quinton Lucas, 4th District Councilmembers Crispin Rea and Eric Bunch, City Manager Mario Vasquez, City Engineer Nicolas Bosonetto, John Fierro with the Mattie Rhodes Center, Katrina Rojas Vincent with the Westside Neighborhood Association, and Roberto Hurtado with the Westside Central Neighborhood Association. The "grand reveal" of the Las Tarascas statue will follow those remarks.

The Southwest Boulevard Streetscape project implements safety, accessibility, and beautification improvements along the corridor, spanning from Broadway Boulevard to 25th Street. Key improvements include:

• Resurfaced roadway
• Converting the roadway configuration from 4 thru-lanes to 2 thru-lanes with a turn lane in the middle, calming traffic and making it safer for pedestrians
• Separated 10' shared-use path on the south side of the street
• Sidewalk repairs
• New ADA ramps
• New medians, bump outs, and other pedestrian safety features
• New traffic signals and signage
• Removed signals at W Pennsylvania Avenue and replaced "slip ramp" with a sidewalk.
• Landscaping, including trees, plants and yuccas
• Green infrastructure features
• New neighborhood streetlight banners
• 17 new trash cans

Upgrades were made to the public parking lots under the I-35 bridge, which provide up to 150 free parking spaces. Those improvements include:

• New security cameras
• LED lights
• Bird control

A plaza was constructed to display a replica "Las Tarascas" statue, which was gifted to Kansas City by its sister City in Mexico, Morelia. The statue will be officially revealed at Tuesday's ceremony.

These upgrades reflect Kansas City's continued commitment to creating safer, more accessible public spaces. Members of the public and media are encouraged to attend.