KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Work will begin in March to convert a former Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad bridge into an entertainment venue, the Kansas City Star reports.
The bridge, built by the Rock Island in 1905, crosses the Kansas River in the city’s West Bottoms area. It has been idle since the 1970s but remains structurally sound. Flying Truss LLC has worked for years on the redevelopment, which calls for turning the bridge into a space for bars and restaurants.
Plans call for L.G. Barcus and Sons of Kansas City, Kan., to begin work in <arch to remove the ties and rails from the 702-foot bridge, raise it 4 feet to elevate it above levees being raised by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and add some 400 tons of steel and concrete to create a platform in place of the railroad tracks. Another local builder, Centric, will then build out the venue space.
The Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, owns the bridge and is leasing it to Flying Truss. It has spent $2 million on the project, which it expects to be repaid through property taxes and a special sales tax charged on the bridge. Michael Zeller, CEO of Flying Truss, said the project will cost about $12 milllion, with the funds coming from a mix of government, investment, and philanthropic sources.
The project is expected to be completed in spring 2024. More information is available at its website.
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