Kessler Park Water Reservoir Vision Study Pt. 1

KESSLER PARK WATER

KANSAS CITY DESIGN CENTER

STUDY 2021-2022

This publication documents the processes and findings of the Kessler Park Water Reservoir Visioning Study, occurring during the academic semesters of Fall 2021 and Spring 2022. This publication was written and designed by Rebecca Pedrosa Martínez, Aurora Wilson, and Matthew McGuire under the counsel of the Kansas City Design Center.

This publication cannot be sold, duplicated, or published electronically or otherwise, without the express written consent of the Kansas City Design Center. The purpose of this publication is academic in nature and is intended to showcase the research, scholarship, and design work of the students of the Kansas City Design Center.

Copyright 2022 ISBN 978-0-9893620-5-4

Printed by NextPage in Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City Design Center

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BACKGROUND

Acknowledgments III

Funding & Sponsors IV

INTERSECTION

Site Development 185 Spatial Development 195 Physical Design Elements 205

PROJECT INTRODUCTION

Foreword V Introduction 3

Project Imperatives 5 KCDC 2014-2015 Study 11 Planning Initiatives 13 Urban Land Institute 15 Studio Schedule 19 Site Analysis Context 25 Findings & Strategy 43 Immediate Site Context 51 Reservoir Analysis 61

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

Master Plan 85 Transformative Schemes 93

PRESERVATION

MASTER PLAN Path Development 109 North Basin 119 South Basin 139 Amphitheater 159

Site Design 237 South Basin Elements 255 North Basin Elements 279

CONCLUSION

INTEGRATION Testimonies 293 Conclusion 294

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Without the participation and assistance of our advisory committee and professional reviewers our progress and the quality of our final design would not be possible. Their input, feedback and expertise allowed us to create a stronger final design.

Scott Overbay, KC Parks and Recreation

Tom Kimes, KCMO Water

Anna Marie Tutera, Kansas City Museum

Nate Hoylman, Pendleton Heights Neighborhood Association

Whitney Bernardo, Pendleton Heights Neighborhood Association

Owen Cox, Scarritt Renaissance Community Member

Todd Lieberman, Brinshore

Scott Wagner, Northeast Alliance Together

Bill Zahner, Zahner Metal

Cory Imig, Community Artist

Steve Huey, Wallace Engineering

James Martin, KCMO Public Art Administrator

Jack Lowe, Kansas City Disc Golf

STUDENTS FACULTY & STAFF

Becca Boles, Regional & Community Planning KSU

Lydia Carter, Architecture KSU

Donovan Douglas, Architecture KSU

Sloane Gleeson, Interior Architecture & Industrial Design KSU

Jonathan Ludwick, Architecture KSU

Matthew McGuire, Architecture KSU

Payton Monks, Architecture KSU

Raegan Orr, Interior Architecture & Industrial Design KSU

Jay Olson, Interior Architecture & Industrial Design KSU

Becca Pedrosa, Architecture KSU

Alexa Radley, Architecture KSU

Kris Snodgrass, Architecture KSU

Taryn Vogan, Architecture KSU

Braydn Vorhees, Architecture KSU

Madi Wieseler, Architecture KSU

Aurora Wilson, Architecture KSU

Vladimir Krstic, KCDC Academic Programs Director & KSU Professor

Mariah Randell, KCDC Director of Operations & Outreach

FUNDING & SPONSORS

The Kansas City Design Center’s mission, program, and projects are made possible by numerous generous philanthropic funders and professional sponsors outlined below.

The project summarized in this publication was supported by the National Endowment for the Arts through their Grants for Arts Program and the Kansas City Missouri, Parks & Recreation department.

The KCDC’s core mission is generously supported by grants from the Hall Family Foundation, the Regnier Family Foundation, and the McDonnell Family Foundation. Without this support, the KCDC would not be possible. Other funding, sponsorships, and in-kind donations are received from Kansas State University, HNTB, Newmark Grubb Zimmer, Hoerr Schaudt, DRAW Architecture, Garmin, KC STEM Alliance, and STRATA. We extend our continued recognition to the William T. Kemper Foundation for helping shape our program through their past funding and the KCDC board members that have contributed funds; Cindy Frewen, Bill Zahner, and Kate Bender. Our gratitude for all our funders and individuals that donated to the KCDC over the years is boundless, and we give our thanks.

FOREWORD

The KCDC studio project presented in this publication documents a sequel to the first vision study for the repurposing of the abandoned water reservoir in Kessler Park which was undertaken in 2014/15 academic year. Much has changed since then. First of all, there was a significant forward development in the residential neighborhoods adjoining the water reservoir and the Kessler Park proper, as well the entire Northeast area of Kansas City, particularly in terms of community building, cultivation of the sense of identity and the pursuit of collective betterment integral to which was ascending aspiration of the community leaders to bring the repurposing of the water reservoir closer to implementable reality. Concurrently, as the next phase of the repurposing vision study was being prepared, we have been subjugated to the Covid pandemic and ensuing social unrest, bringing to the fore the underlying issues of social and racial injustice, inequity, and inequality. This has urged the question of shared public realm and the access to it as a critical dimension of collective health concerns as well an instrument of combating institutionalized inequity and inequality. The location of the abandoned water reservoir in the midst of the community which had historically been subjected to such adverse social and racial circumstances has made the possibility of its conversion into a functioning public space amenity ever more acute.

However, rather than pursuing an immediate and instinctive process of additive programming and the generation of functional utility drawn from the previous work, we have decided to reset the lenses

and start by examining the existing artifact in its most primary incarnation as a found object and space, and a topographical aberration with no definable contextual relationships. Absent of its extinct function and consumed by the agency of invasive nature and unsanctioned use, the reservoir was retraced and dissected seeking the line between preserving its found state and the possibility of creating [liberating?] new spatial and experiential conditions latently inherent in its structure, topological position, and vacationing of the original purpose. In doing so we have arrived at a zero degree of design proposition creating three distinct [re]configurations of the existing reservoir structure, each of which has allowed for different programmatic, functional, spatial, and formal investigations. While on one hand the aspiration of the project was to offer a viable strategy and a design method for repurposing the abandoned industrial infrastructure and its eventual conceptual understanding, more importantly the real hope of the project was to-- in working with the community and stakeholders-- create a series of tangible design visions they feel invested in and can empower them to make their own collective choice in pursuing implementation of the transformation of the reservoir into a shared communal amenity that can elevate the quality of the public life. This project would not have happened without the inspiring communal leadership of Whitney Bernardo, including the successful pursuit of the NEA Grant, and the community leaders and members of Pendleton Heights and Scarritt Renaissance neighborhoods, as well as collaboration of KCMO Parks and Recreation Department, and the

generous support of KCMO City Manager’s office. We are further heartened that this project finds its resonance in the ongoing master plan for Kessler Park and are thankful for the collaboration with the Hoxie Collective towards shared commitment to the implementation of communal betterment. The credit for the work presented in this publication belongs to the group of talented, hardworking, and dedicated students I was fortunate enough to work with at KCDC. This publication was entirely designed and produced by the studio graduates Rebecca Pedrosa, Aurora Wilson and Matthew McGuire. They invested countless hours in scrutinizing and thinking through project results and outcomes and finding the most compelling and meaningful way to present them. Both their studio colleagues and I owe them a debt of gratitude. Finally, I am particularly thankful to my colleague Mariah Randell for being a steady hand and a keen mind in helping guide the process of making this publication.

My sincere thanks to all for their hard work and inspiration.

Vladimir Krstic

INTRODUCTION

OVERVIEW

KCDC’s 2021-2022 academic project focusing on the Kessler Park reservoir, located in Kansas City Missouri, seeks to reintegrate a lost public relic – the Kessler Park water reservoir – as a public space for both the surrounding neighborhoods and the city at large. This project, spanning the full academic year, encouraged Kansas City Design Center students to work closely with the neighborhood and city communities surrounding Kessler park to develop design options that reintegrated the previously functional reservoir as a newly repurposed community space. Through research, analysis, and community discussion, the KCDC studio seeks to establish an inclusive design vision that helps provide a new public realm for Kansas City residents in a post-Covid world hungry for new, open, outdoor gathering spaces.

PURPOSE AND INTENT

The primary purpose of this project is to create a comprehensive and inclusive design that better utilizes the space left behind by the now abandoned, but still loved, Kessler park water reservoir. In 2014, previous KCDC students developed a similar project focused on the same program and site. We are now building off of their framework to deliver an updated version of the vision study that takes into account the neighborhood changes and the lessons we have learned from the pandemic and cultural developments over the past few

years.

The neighborhood that Kessler Park Reservoir is located in, Pendleton Heights, has reached out to us to look into potential developments for this park. Due to overgrowth and lack of surveillance, some neighborhood residents have become concerned about the reservoir’s continued neglect due to increasing crime.. However, it has also become a haven for nearby graffiti artists and is well loved by the community at large. Therefore, this design will seek to integrate the reservoir without destroying it.

As a community of people who have now learned to adapt and survive in a post-pandemic world, we have learned a few lessons. Our homes have now become more important than ever, online and remote presence is a rapidly growing concern, and the importance of open air, outdoor community space has made itself glaringly obvious. When outdoor space is the only place we have to commune with others, the presence of parks becomes integral to a healthy social life. For Kansas City residents, this need is controlled, almost exclusively, by the parks and boulevard system. This system of green space weaves through the entire city and residents would be hard pressed to drive anywhere outside of the highways without interacting with one of the nearly 220 parks or 135 miles of maintained boulevards.

Kessler park is one of these 220 parks. In fact,

it is one of the largest parks in the system and is also home to Cliff Drive, which is one of 5 State Scenic Byways within the State of Missouri. Nearby the east entrance to Cliff Drive, atop a hill that overlooks the Missouri River, sits the now abandoned Water Reservoir. This water reservoir was originally designed to provide water to the industrial factories below, however, shortly after its construction, it cracked and has remained empty ever since. Abandoned, and secluded by overgrowth, the reservoir has been left to decay and now fills neighborhood residents with a sense of uneasiness. This uneasiness extends, not only to the concrete shell of the water reservoir itself, but also the green space immediately surrounding it that serves as an open park space and disc golf course. In response to this, the KCDC students have spent the past year researching the park, meeting with community members, and designing a new vision for this park that reintegrates the reservoir and provides a new community space for residents to meet safely. This was done in a series of phases. First, research and analysis of not only the park, but the whole city surrounding it. This allowed students to better understand the importance of Kessler Park within the Parks system and, by extension, the importance of the reservoir. While looking at the history of the park, they also took into account the topography, amenities,

and surrounding demographics that could inform how the park would best serve the community around it. The next phase was discussion with the community. After completing technical research, the students met with the community to discuss their personal stories and ideas as well as affirm or disprove the students’ research. The last phase was design. Taking into account the ideas and thoughts of the community, the technical, and cultural needs of the site, and the societal importance of outdoor space in today’s world, the students came up with 3 visions. Each design featured varying levels of integration of the reservoir into the surrounding park; the least invasive proposed no change to the shell at all, while the most invasive proposed opening the shell with the least invasive not damaging the shell at all, to the most invasive, opening the shell of the reservoir up entirely to integrate it into the park. These designs which took place primarily over the course of the second semester of the year, were presented to the community and professionals and refined throughout the second half of the academic year to create the vision studies you will be presented in this book.

PROJECT IMPERATIVES

PARK & BOULEVARDS SYSTEM HISTORY

Kansas has a unique history when it comes to its parks. It was one of the first cities in the United States to incorporate designed landscape and park systems into its city plan. The integration of landscaping into the city plan and street system is known as the “Parks and Boulevard system”. Funded by William Rockhill Nelson and August Meyer, and Designed by George E Kessler, the Kansas City Parks and Boulevard system set a new precedent for urban planning and design.

The Park Board hired landscape architect George E. Kessler to design a boulevard and park system master plan that would create a “city within a park.” He then not only used this plan to improve park access, but also used his parks and boulevard design to separate zoning areas such as residential, commercial, and industrial that weren’t yet controlled by an effective zoning plan.

In 1893, Kessler’s original plan was designed with just under 10 miles of boulevards and 323 acres of parks. By 1920, the system had grown to 151 miles of boulevards and over 3,400 acres of parkland. Today it is home to more than 135 miles of boulevards, 221 parks, 12,242 acres of parkland, 178 miles of trails and bikeways, 29 lakes, and 106 playgrounds.

Kessler’s plan was designed to discourage traffic congestion on boulevards,and help improve park access to neighborhoods via streets that were pedestrian friendly. The city was broken up into park districts, with each getting an equal share of the financial burden of park upkeep and development.

Once the original plan was drawn out, work on the boulevard system began in 1893 with the development of Independence and Gladstone Boulevards. North Terrace Park (now Kessler Park), West Terrace Park and later Penn Valley Park were among the first developments. Today the Parks and Boulevard’s system is home to many notable parks within the city such as Swope Park and Loose Park and has become integral to the design and organization of the city.

IMPERATIVE #1: FOUND INFRASTRUCTURE

While Kessler’s original intent for the park was to leave it largely untouched, there was one major piece of infrastructure that was added to Kessler Park, the reservoir. Completed in 1921, the reservoir was meant to provide water to local industries such as breweries and railway stations in the East Bottoms. After realizing pumping water from the Turkey Creek Pumping station to the Easty Bottoms was proving expensive, the Board of Fire and Water Commissions approved a plan to create a new reservoir closer to the East bottoms atop the Kessler Park hill. It was originally constructed to hold about 117 million gallons of water and sat at 590’ long by 230’ wide. Located atop the hill, it was meant to have a prominent, important place in the park. Once construction of the reservoir was completed, it didn’t take long to realize it was leaking. Unfortunately, soon after it was filled, cracks formed in the concrete due to the enormous pressure of the water. This was an issue not only because of its inability to complete the function it was designed for, but also because the leakage posed the threat that the reservoir “could burst and send its 16,000 gallons of water spilling into the East Bottoms”. The reservoir was drained, and the leakage was studied. While there was no conclusion as to where the leak was or the cause of, it was ultimately decided that the reservoir needed to be drained leaving the reservoir abandoned and the surrounding park without a purpose.

The reservoir was completely abandoned by 1931. Since then, there has been little effort to revitalize or monitor the abandoned space, resulting in a haven for unwanted activity, natural decay, and graffiti. While some residents see its dilapidated state as an important part of the park, others see it as an eye sore and draw for vandalism and crime. There have been a few ideas for revitalizing the space over the years, but no proposals were ever completed.

IMPERATIVE #2: PARK HISTORY

Kessler park is a 303 acre park located in Kansas City Missouri.

Originally named North Terrace Park, it is a product of the parks and boulevard’s system laid out by George Kessler in his 1893 master plan for Kansas City. This master plan proposed multiple parks throughout the area, with Kessler Park being set aside to remain “wild and rugged, handsome, beautiful and picturesque”. The original intent of the park left it largely untouched by man aside from Cliff Drive which provided a wooded trail along the cliff side serving as a “recreational roadway”.

The land, which was originally homesteaded by Nathan Scarritt, was seen as “too rugged for a goat to climb” and as such was secured by the city through condemnation in 1899 when construction of North Terrace Park began. The most prominent feature in the park was to be Cliff Drive, which would create a car park for residents who visited to experience the views of the city below. Decades after its completion, Cliff Drive remained one of George Kessler’s greatest achievements and served as a major attraction for the city.

Kansas City Parks

Northeast Kansas City

Kessler Park’s rugged landscape and untouched vegetation, while beautiful, doesn’t create a welcoming park environment. Unfortunately, Kessler Park’s location and terrain has created a reputation of disconnect and vagrancy. Located on the bluff overlooking the East Bottoms, there isn’t a clearly marked or accessible entry. Access to the park from the north or south is blocked by the terrain coming from the north and constant street breaks and jogs at Independence Avenue coming from the south. While Independence Avenue is a feeder street for park goers, Kessler Park is not well advertised or

marked, making it difficult to find despite its location just a few blocks off of the main throughway. As a result, the park is primarily used by neighborhood residents or long-time city residents who also find it hard to access on a pedestrian level.

In summary, the park lacks both clearly marked and accessible vehicular entry and safe pedestrian access which feeds into its crime ridden reputation and lack of use.

#3: KESSLER PARK’S DISCONNECT

KCDC 2014-15 VISION STUDY

After decades of laying dormant and abandoned, KCDC students began looking into potential uses for the abandoned reservoir as well as opportunities to integrate the park back into the city in 2014. They compiled research on the history, demographics, context, connectivity, and use of the park and developed two design concepts that they proposed as solutions for the abandoned space that is the reservoir. There were a few large scale changes that the

2014-2015 KCDC students proposed in both of their final design schemes. A few of these changes were the implementation of a”zipper”, or definite park boundary, the creation of a pedestrian bridge connecting the park to Scarritt point, and the development of “formal gates” that served as small park spaces at the entrance to Kessler.

Plan Proposal

LIVING

DESIGN

The major concepts of this design seek to transform the abandoned reservoir into a community hub that promotes observation, interaction and identity. While creating more permanent elements within the site, these elements work with the existing conditions and needs of the community to allow for an ever-evolving environment. These elements be framed by the initial design concept while allowing for future uses within the reservoir.

Living Link (Scheme 1)

WATER/SKATE DESIGN

The final design of the water/skate scheme implemented 3 main elements; The bridge, the living machine, and the “Skatescape”. In this, the north side of the reservoir focuses on natural elements such as water collection, and the growth of foliage, while the south side focuses more on human elements such as the graffiti, skatescape, and amphitheater space.

Water/Skate (Scheme 2)

1 make reservoir publicovergrown phase 2 elevated pathway added phase 3 programmatic elements added

PROGRESSION

1 make reservoir public

and overgrown phase 2 elevated

PLANNING INITIATIVES

Before looking into the park specifically, the studio focused on what is happening in the city around Kessler Park. They found ongoing initiatives such as the KC Riverfront project, Paseo Gateway plans, Greenline loop, and many others that could be incorporated into the park design, or would influence the park and surrounding neighborhood designs through new regulations and expectations.

AVE.

ST.

TRUMAN PLAZA PLAN

Promote Truman Plaza as the ethnic/cultural hub of KC Attract business and employment opportunities and create quality places to work and live Encourage a walkable layout of the community

PASEO GATEWAY

Revitalization of Choice Neighborhoods Restore Existing Streets with transportation access to amenities

GREENLINE LOOP

Offers recreation and outdoor amenities to greater KC area

Develop green landscape Connect existing trails in area

PROSPECTUS PLAN

Improvements of bus routes

Connect the community through alternative transportation Increase bus stops along new routes

KC RIVERFRONT

Multi-family housing development Extension of KC RideCar to new housing development Improvement of area to bring in a new type of resident and connect to the city

URBAN LAND INSTITUTE

PURPOSE OF THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

The Urban Land Institute is a global organization of trade professionals in every topic relating to land use, from Realtors to Urban Planners and Engineers. The urban land institute dedicates their expertise to the proper education for public land use implementations. From this, additional goals are to foster successful communities and create sustainable land use.

Kansas City’s rapid growth has not been sustainable for its park system.

With George Kessler’s original park system allowing for more access to parks, 8.5 persons per acre has changed to 2.4 persons per acre. This is extremely disproportionate growth when compared to Kansas City’s rapidly expanding metro area; growing from 59.8 Square miles to 318 square miles.

The park’s system continues to grow in scale, but funding has not increased to maintain it’s upkeep, which only increases every year. The resulting quality of outdoor space will continue to decline as green-space isn’t receiving its needed maintenance.

The Urban Land Institute’s presence and interest in Kansas City is important to the further development of the city as a whole. The ULI’s mission stands to shape the future of the urban fabric to deliver a transformative impact worldwide, and Kansas City’s contribution to that mission will be achieved through the use of public and private sectors.

“TheUrbanLandInstitute’spresenceandinterestinKansasCityis importanttothefurtherdevelopmentofthecityasawhole.”

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

ESTABLISH A KANSAS CITY PARK CONSERVANCY

A conservancy would better unite the Kansas City parks and recreation system in term of their spending towards Kansas City’s parks as a whole. By exerting more of its efforts to highlight the Kessler system as its primary inspiration, more resources can be equitably shared with parks within this system that have received less attention than their counterparts.

ACTIVATE PARKS IN HIGH NEED AREAS

Combined with an established conservancy, Kansas City would have the opportunity to dedicate more of their efforts exclusively to neighborhoods that have less access to parks, economic growth, and amenities, as seen in the chart to the right.

UNITE THE PUBLIC SECTOR’S VISION FOR PARKS IN KANSAS CITY

The current parks and rec system does not have enough resources to achieve a cohesive goal for the Kessler parks and boulevards system within Kansas City. Redefining the collective goal to the public will create more interest.

USE THE PARKS & BOULEVARD SYSTEM TO ADDRESS INEQUALITY

The parks and boulevards system holds tremendous value to the communities within its sprawl. To take full advantage of these facilities and give them the funding they deserve would mean a complete overhaul of the current racially motivated jurisdictional divides.

STUDIO SCHEDULE

Phase I: Inventory Mapping Phase II: Analytical Mapping

Phase III: Schematic Design

2021 FALL ACADEMIC SEMESTER

This design study takes place over the academic year of August - May. In that time, the students have determined a schedule for the project and design development. As shown in this diagram, the first semester is focused primarily on research and analysis with only the last two months of the semester looking into broad schematic design ideas.

KCDC Open House

First Advisory Board Meeting

Second Advisory Board Meeting

Third Advisory Board Meeting

Project Commences First Public Meeting Second Public Meeting

AUGUSTSEPTEMBEROCTOBERNOVEMBER DECEMBER

Phase IV: Design Development

2022 SPRING ACADEMIC SEMESTER

The second semester however, is focused almost entirely on design development for the schemes determined in the first semester. The design development spans January - May and seeks to create vision studies that are fully coherent and detailed.

Scattered throughout the entire year are multiple community meetings, advisory meetings, and public events to maintain continual communication and get feedback from the community on the developing design schemes.

Fourth Advisory Board Meeting

Fifth Advisory Board Meeting

KCDC Open House

Third Public Meeting Fourth Public Meeting

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The students held five advisory meetings, four community meetings, two open houses, and participated in multiple public events such as Parking Day in Kansas City. Each of these events was used as an opportunity to gather valuable feedback from community members that could be organized and implemented in the designs. This feedback was gathered not only in presentation and conversation, but also through the use of activity boards that community members could vote on, public or online polls, and free printed plans and diagrams that community members themselves could design on.

Once feedback was gathered, it was sorted, tallied, or written out to share among the studio. Findings from online polls pulled in information such as “the community wants a regional draw to the area and are not afraid of drastic change, however, they are also adamant of maintaining a neighborhood feel” and “A primary concern is safety and proper usage of the park, therefore meaning that more users can reduce misuse”. This kind of feedback was essential to the development of the design.

The other forms of public feedback such as the mood boards allowed community members to vote on ideas that they felt would best fit the park, as well as comment on extra ideas that they felt weren’t included in the presented mood boards. This kind of polling brought in information that could be quantified and compared such as the diagram on the bottom left of this page

which shows that the polls found safety and proper use to be the most sought after quality in the park, while facilities and access to the pond were much less important to community members and professionals. Overall, the community engagement and professional advisement for this design study was essential to its development and success.

PhotographcourtesyofHoxiePlanningCollective

SITE ANALYSIS

CONTEXTUAL STUDY

For this portion of study, KCDC is looking at the context within which Kessler Park sits. This not only includes the park area itself, but is expanded to include the Northeast Neighborhoods, the East Bottoms, and the Parks and Boulevards system within Kansas City. This is done to further reintegrate Kessler Park into its original context of study so that we may analyze the Park’s significance, and lack thereof, as it currently sits.

SCALES

MULTIPLE FOCUS AREAS

To better understand the context in which Kessler Park sits, KCDC deemed it necessary to study its significance in four sequential metrics. These metrics are the basis on which each map, study, and design move has been made, and analyze Kessler Park’s location beginning with the most zoomed out map, the Regional scale. It Is vital for the studio to study Kessler Park at these different scales so that every level of interaction the park might face has been carefully executed in a way that best serves its context.

Regional

To grasp how the city was laid out, special attention was paid toward the Parks and Boulevards system and how this connects the city within the I-435 Loop.

Kessler Park Penn Valley Park

Blue Valley Park

Swope Park Secondary Park

Anchor Park

NortheastNeighborhood AdjacentNeighborhoods

This scale was utilized to comprehend Kessler Park’s interactions with Residential and Industrial sectors while creating a topographical division and marking which roads were a straight connection to the park.

To highlight specific roads which provided access to Kessler Park near the reservoir site, a neighborhood scale has been employed. This scale also served to observe how the surrounding neighborhoods interact with the park.

This scale shed light on how Independence Avenue created a North-South break in the city’s street grid, thus deterring through-traffic. Additionally, this scale has been used to determine how the reservoir stands within Kessler Park.

ImmediateContext

This scale depicted how the reservoir was situated within its surrounding Kessler Park context, as well as how topography has been organized near the reservoir.

TOPOGRAPHY

Represented in green, Kessler Park’s land mass is the lasting barrier between the industrial area of the East Bottoms to the north, and the residential sectors to the south with access to the park. This stark topographical contrast can not be seen anywhere else in Kansas City at this scale, and lends a hand to the significance of Kessler Park. While it is important to understand why this topography is positively unique, it is also worthwhile to discuss why it presents certain challenges, especially as a significant water runoff point which will be discussed later on.

The steep terrain of the northern side of the park may protect it from flooding, but it does still pose issues with moving water that uses the cliff as a point of drainage down to the river and poses issues for any infrastructure along the cliff’s edge.

EDGE CONDITION

Kessler Park’s location is significant on more than one front, and stands as the literal capstone of the Parks and Boulevards system due to this topography. With its establishment, Kansas City has a greater context of its location in respects to the river which sits north of downtown and Kessler Park. While examining this edge condition, it is clear that Kessler Park is the largest area of green space that allows this relation to its surroundings to be seen.

By studying the terrain’s sudden dropoff situated north of KCDC’s site within Kessler Park, it is abundantly clear as to why Kessler Park’s geographical location is significant.

The entire park rides a very steep cliffside that has been used to divide the suburbs surrounding it. Because of this natural feature, George Kessler’s design for the park featured a byway now known as Cliff Drive, which stands as the only urban scenic bypass in the United States and makes incredible use of the existing dropoff. Following the establishment of the park, the East Bottoms and surrounding neighborhoods made quick use of this geographical feature by constructing a gravity-operated water reservoir at the top of Kessler Park

Kessler Park

TOPOGRAPHICAL RELATIONSHIPS

Within our immediate study area, there were several topographical relationships that were the subject of study. Specifically, these studies examine relationships between the reservoir and important nodes of activity or viewshed elsewhere in the park. These are identified as an existing basketball pad downhill from the reservoir, and a scenic overlook at the northwest edge of the park. An additional section was cut to understand where a major roadway bisects Kessler Park to connect the Northeast Neighborhoods to

the East Bottoms. By examining these relationships in section, the studio was able to identify topographical issues and opportunities for this vision study. Currently, this basketball pad is situated in an area that is prone to flooding, and therefore does not receive adequate or consistent use. The overlook condition, however, is an important viewshed that allows users within the park to orient themselves to several Kansas City landmarks such as the Buck O’neil Bridge, and the downtown Kansas City skyline.

RESERVOIR OVER LOOK

RESERVOIRBASKETBALL PAD

BasketballPadSection

OverlookSection

From the Chestnut Trafficway section, it becomes clear just how large the difference in height is between the residential neighborhoods and the industrial area of the East Bottoms below. Kessler Park is a stark boundary between these two worlds and Chestnut Trafficway serves as an extremely important artery in this part of Kansas City.

KESSLER PARK

NodeConditionSection

ChestnutTrafficwaySection

N-SEdgeConditionSections

SECTIONAL SURVEY

Diving further into the sectional aspects of Kessler Park, the immediate site was then sliced into NorthSouth running segments to further understand what the topography does within the park. This combined with the next few pages of sectional studies help to create an analytical profile of the reservoir and its surrounding context while learning about nodes that can contribute to the site.

VIEWSHEDS

From the reservoir, there are many viewsheds that can be seen. All of these lines of sight are important in allowing visitors to see how unique Kessler Park is from its vantage point. Standing at the Reservoir, visitors can gain clear views to the East Bottoms, Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and other landmarks within Kessler Park. Despite being heavily vegetated along its borders, these lines of sight are especially clear from the Reservoir, which at its edges, are at the highest elevation in this part of Kessler Park. This is why it remains important to analyze the Reservoir’s location in the park.

KCMuseumView DowntownKCView KesslerParkViews

LocalViews

ACCESSIBILITY TO AMENITIES

Within Kansas City, transportation is a primary concern for the accessibility of anchor parks, specifically Kessler Park. Transit has been analyzed here by looking at car travel times at two different scales. These highlight both regional accessibility to Kessler Park, as well as neighborhood accessibility to and from Kessler Park. Currently, there is a disconnect between main arteries of transportation and the main entrances of Kessler Park, which contribute to its inaccessibility.

Along these roadways, there are a variety of districts which allow for amenities within the city. Currently, these areas of amenity are removed from Kessler Park and are situated in clusters geared toward populations living near downtown. The map to the right indicates this lack of amenities nearby Kessler Park at the regional scale, and show how this distribution of event space leaves the Northeast Neighborhood isolated from Kansas City’s activity.

Minutes 20

Minutes

15

MajorDestinationsinKC

District

Node

Destination

Kessler Park KC Museum Memorial Park WWI Museum

Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park Nelson Atkins Museum of Art

Mt Marty Park Rosedale Memorial Arch Mill Creek Park Vietnam Memorial

Swope Park Thomas H. Swope Memorial

Rock Climbing

Parkwood Swimming Pool

Budd Park Pool

Jarboe Park Pool

Sequence Climb

Rock Climbing

Roeland Park Swimming Pool

Fairway Swimming Pool

Swope Park Pool

Marty Pool

Austin Harmon Park Pool

Kessler Park

Rosedale Park

Swope Park

Rock Climbing Disc Golf Skate Parks Swimming Pools

Waterworks Park

Blue Valley Park

FESTIVALS & OTHER EVENTS

In addition to standard amenities in Kansas City, there are specialized events and event spaces that allow for additional cultural and seasonal festivals. Again, these areas of activity are relatively removed from the Northeast Neighborhoods and are located closer to Downtown Kansas City. There are a number of festivals that have been examined that may have success from a new venue, such as Kessler Park. By learning about the schedules and time frames for these events, the studio is able to better create a project that

demand that large-scale events hold. Currently within the Northeast Neighborhoods, there are a variety of small-scale event spaces that hold events very familiar to the locals. While a healthy majority of these events already exist in spaces within Kessler Park, it is important to understand where these events are being held so that we may continue to make space for these festivals annually.

BERKLEY RIVERFRONT

WEST BOTTOMS

BARTLE HALL

KAUFFMAN CENTER

CROSSROADS

UNION STATION

CROWN CENTER

POWER AND LIGHT

18TH AND VINE

HOSPITAL HILL

WESTPORT

NELSON-ATKINS

SOUTHMORELAND PARK PLAZA

RegionalFestivalsandSeasonalEvents

Physical Cultural Seasonal Other

Heim’s Electric Park

Northeast Athletic Fields

Budd Park

Kessler Park

Concourse

Maple Park

Independence Plaza Park

Lykins Square

Harmony Park

Prospect Plaza Park

9th & Van Brunt Athletic Fields

NeighborhoodAmenities

KANSAS CITY MUSEUM

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS POMP AND CEREMONY

COLONNADE

ROOTBEER FLOAT BLOCK ANNUAL FLEA MARKET CLIFF HANGER 5K / 10K

ST. JOHN COMMUNITY GARDEN

SUMMER DUSK CONCERTS

NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD CHALK WALK

NeighborhoodFestivals&SeasonalEvents

5min

10min 20min

5 min

10 min

Services Education

Religious Institutions

Cultural Institutions

Walking Radius

Physical Cultural Seasonal Other

ACTIVITIES ANALYSIS

Additional analysis subsequently categorizes current amenities and activities available to the populations living in the Northeast Neighborhoods, and how far these amenities are currently from Kessler Park. Most services in this area are located along main roads that run East to West, such as Lexington Avenue and Independence Avenue. These streets serve as arteries that pull locals to amenities easily and quickly. This comes at a disadvantage to Kessler Park, which sits North of both of these streets, meaning there is not adequate traffic flow to and from Kessler Park through the lens of available ammenities in proximity to it. Additionally, most of the serviceable area directly adjacent to Kessler Park located in residential sectors, meaning there are plenty of people nearby who desire access to amenities in their own neighborhoods.

Amenities

Education Services Religious Institutions

Cultural Institutions

Main Trails

Connections

Marked Paths

Proposed Trails

BusRoutes

At the Neighborhood Scale, most forms of entertainment, namely restaurants and eateries, are located along Independence Avenue. Other clusters of food-based amenities can be found along St. John Avenue, which leads directly to Kessler Park. Religious establishments were considered to be sparse in this area other than the existing handful.

Kessler Park has an opportunity to become an entertainment hub for these east neighborhoods. The studio’s investigation into walking times highlighted the proximity of Kessler Park to potential new businesses. This area stood to have an ideal capacity for much more commercial activity than what was currently seen making room for Kessler Park to become a major destination within the city.

AmenitiesConclusion

Education Services

Religious Institutions

Cultural Institutions

Walking Radius

FINDINGS AND STRATEGY

RESEARCH CONCLUSION

After collecting and considering all of the site analysis research, conclusions were drawn about the large-scale conceptual organization of the city in relation to Kessler Park. In this case, the large scale considerations take into account the research culminations of the regional scale findings and the Neighborhood scale findings. These dive into how Kessler Park currently connects to the amenities, activities, and public transportation grid of the surrounding city and neighborhoods to see how users could access the park and what was causing them to avoid it. This also helps to develop ideas for how best to reintegrate the disconnected park to the city and surrounding events. This, in turn, allows Kessler Park to better connect with the city experience as well as lending a hand in drawing users from outside the immediate site.

RESERVOIR AT THE REGIONAL & NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE

The findings developed based on the regional studies of activity, transportation, and amenities found that there is only one east-west collector street that feeds to two main north-south corridors that helped create a disconnect between the park and the city. Paseo Boulevard and Prospect Avenue act as the main north-south corridors to Kessler Park. Independence Avenue is a collector street for those North-South corridors along with Chestnut Avenue from the East Bottoms. However, Paseo Boulevard and Prospect Avenue have previously been treated as boundaries, separating the east and west sides of the city.

This creates a disconnection between destinations throughout the city by making them seem as though they are separate from one another.

Kessler Park has the opportunity to become a regional destination, which the East side of the city lacks. Instead of the North-South corridors of Paseo Boulevard and Prospect Avenue being disconnected streets, they can become collector streets for Kessler Park if it were to be considered a major destination in the city.

EAST BOTTOMS

ST. JOHN AMENITIES

INDEPENDENCE AVE. AMENITIES

Corridor

EAST BOTTOMS

DOWNTOWN

18TH & VINE

MIDTOWN THE PLAZA

SWOPE PARK

Hubs

Corridor Connections

GOALS & OBJECTIVES

Once the park was fully analyzed at a multitude of scales and access to the city was determined to be possible, a series of goals and objectives were determined to provide a clear design vision for the project moving forward. The overarching mission of the project was concluded to be “To re-purpose the Kessler Park Reservoir and use it as a catalyst for the improvement of the area while enhancing the relevance of Kessler Park to the community”.

Three primary goals were then developed to best accomplish the mission and further the value of the vision study. The goals included creating a regional amenity, emphasizing the reservoir as an amenity to the local community, and ensuring the reservoir can function as a gathering location for the surrounding park.

Throughout the remainder of the academic year and the development of the individual design schemes, the studio mission was maintained in order to give the project a clear goal and purpose.

Mission

oftheareawhileenhancingtherelevanceofKesslerParktothecommunity”

Goals Objectives

Emphasize north/south corridors to Kessler Park

Repurpose the abandoned Kessler Park Reservoir to create a regional amenity in order to reintegrate Kessler Park into the order of the city.

Improve walking and biking connections to and from the park

Enhance public transportation options to the area Integrate/intersect/preserve the reservoir to provide program that can be integrated into the park

Emphasize the Kessler Park Reservoir as a significant amenity to the northeast community.

Ensure that the Kessler Park Reservoir can function as a primary gathering location for the park area.

Provide unique programs that are not available at any other significant parks at the regional scale

Preserve the functions of the current park in the reimangined vision Provide day-to-day uses outside of regional uses

PROGRAMMING

The programmatic matrix was developed as a result of all our previous research and analysis to understand how we can better programmatically design the reservoir and the immediate surrounding site. It reflects the ways in which each of the different categories correspond to various aspects of the project. Each of the categories were studied through concepts, relevant maps, design concerns, goals and design

values. The graphic below depicts how various programmatic uses relate depending on fixed or flexible function. The reservoir and immediate surrounding context can utilize both fixed and flexible functions to better accompany different uses. The next graphic shows how various programmatic uses relate depending on daily or seasonal use. The reservoir and immediate

FIXED FLEXIBLE Pavilions FIXED FLEXIBLE

PAVILIONS

Water / Plant Gardens Restrooms

Open Lawn Public Stage

WATER / PLANT GARDENS RESTROOMS OPEN LAWN PUBLIC STAGE WALKING / BIKING TRAILS PARKING PLAYGROUNDS

SPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE

Walking / Biking Trails Parking Playground Sporting Infrastructure

DAILY USES

MARKET AREAS

WATCHING SPORTING EVENTS ART INSTALLATIONS

DRIVE IN MOVIES / MUSICALS ON-STREET EVENTS FESTIVALS LECTURES / WORKSHOPS HOLIDAY GATHERINGS WILDLIFE / BIRD WATCHING

Market Areas Watching Sporting Events Art Installations Drive In Movies / Musicals On-Street Events Festivals Lectures/Workshops Holiday Gatherings Wildlife / Bird Watching

STRONG CONNECTION CONNECTION

EVENT / SEASONAL USES

EVENT / SEASONAL USESDAILY USES

PICNICKING

Picnicking

PLAYING IN OPEN LAWN FISHING

Playing In Open Lawn Fishing Walking / Biking Trails

WALKING / BIKING TRAILS USING PLAYGROUNDS

Using Playgrounds

Enjoying Plant Gardens

ENJOYING PLANT GARDENS OBSERVING OVERLOOKS

Observing Overlooks

CREATING ART / GRAFFITI PLAYING SPORTS ACTIVITIES

Creating Art / Graffiti Playing Sports Activities

Attending Markets

ATTENDING MARKETS

Viewing Art Installations

VIEWING ART INSTALLATIONS

Playing Sports Competitions

PLAYING IN SPORTS COMPETITIONS

Watching Movies / Musicals

Enjoying Concerts

Enjoying Festivals Running / Bike Racing

WATCHING MOVIES / MUSICALS ENJOYING CONCERTS ENJOYING FESTIVALS RUNNING / BIKE RACING

Attending Holiday Gatherings Wildlife / Bird Watching

ATTENDING HOLIDAY GATHERINGS WILDLIFE / BIRD WATCHING

IMMEDIATE SITE CONTEXT

FOCUS AREA STUDY

The immediate site context section discusses the area of Kessler Park directly adjacent to the reservoir. The boundary of this study area is Reservoir Drive, the road that forms a loop through this western section of Kessler Park. This portion of the park has proven important to our vision study due to its proximity to viewsheds, which offer views to downtown Kansas City, the East Bottoms, and the Kansas City Museum to the east of the reservoir.

ACTIVITIES

CLAIMED SPACE UNCLAIMED SPACE

The studio observed the activities, both positive and negative, that exist around the reservoir. The first move identified what spaces were being activated within our study area. This was dubbed claimed space, as these study areas are actively being used for one or more activities. Currently, park population is sparse and dumping prohibits further meaningful use of Kessler Park.

Alongside identified Claimed space exists Unclaimed space; a title reserved for areas within the park that are currently underutilized. Because of the existing topography and lack of maintenance, this puts much of the area north of the reservoir out of meaningful service. This area is known as Cliff Drive and is no longer accessible by vehicle.

ClaimedSpace UnclaimedSpace

Utilized

Areas

DESIRABLE ACTIVITIES

With respect toward the original intent of Kessler Park, current activities and uses for the vicinity that have a positive effect within the park have been preserved. Currently this distinction includes disc golf, walking and jogging, hiking, and biking.

UNDESIRABLE ACTIVITIES

Much of the Reservoir loop has been subjected to consistent trash dumping, lending a hand to the undesirable atmosphere along Reservoir Drive. This combined with the amount of unclaimed space contribute to a negative feedback loop that keeps Kessler Park and its reservoir from addressing their context.

DesirableUses

UndesirableUses

Walking/Biking Trails

Dog Walkers Burnouts Graffiti Dumping Parked Cars

ROOMS

When examining the foliage and topography surrounding the reservoir, it became clear there were boundaries and spaces created out of natural elements within Kessler Park. These ‘rooms’ orient themselves around the reservoir based on these natural elements and contain zones, which have been observed being used for different activities based on their location.

Three main rooms make up the area immediately surrounding the reservoir, which have been labeled using three different colors. The southeast or Purple room contains activities such as disc golf, and includes two grassy lawns bordered with trees which sit lower than the road. The northwest or Blue room contains two zones which are based on topography, and are the most open areas around the reservoir. The southwest or Yellow room includes a large portion of hilly topography that sits lower than the reservoir itself.

PurpleRoom BlueRoom

OverallDefinition Zones PurpleRoom

OverallDefinition Zones BlueRooms

OverallDefinition Zones YellowRooms

DEMOGRAPHICS

To better grasp the populations this study will affect, the studio took special consideration when learning about the nearby neighborhoods, their demographics, income, history, and racial/ethnic profiles. This has been done in part with the findings of the Urban Land Institute’s national technical panel in Kansas City, and has provided KCDC with a well-rounded understanding of Kessler Park’s immediate context.

Over half of the current population in the area known as the Northeast Neighborhoods are people of color, making this area one of the most diverse regions in Kansas City proper. This collective of neighborhoods has been this diverse since their founding, and gives us a look into the social structures and values of the Northeast Neighborhoods.

1940s: 29,000 1950s: 35,000 1960s: 30,000 1970s: 23,500

1980s: 20,000 1990s: 17,500 2000s: 20,000 2010s: 19,000

NumberofPeople(1940-2010)

White: 45.3%

African American: 21.3%

Other Races: 18.7%

RaceandEthnicity

Asian: 8.9%

More than one race: 5%

Native American: 0.08%

PENDLETON HEIGHTS SCARRITT RENAISSANCE INDIAN MOUND