KANSAS CITY, MO — Brinshore Development, LLC, and the Housing Authority of Kansas City, Missouri (HAKC), announces the grand opening of Pendleton ArtsBlock, a 38-unit, mixed-income development that features loft-style studio, one and two-bedroom units along with a roof deck, workshop, fitness room, secured car and bike parking and three micro-retail bays for Charlotte Street Foundation’s StartUp Residency program.

Designed by Dake Wells and DRAW Architecture, Pendleton ArtsBlock compliments the historic Pendleton Heights by embracing Independence Avenue and framing Independence Plaza Park. The urban architecture layers traditional brick exterior with contemporary window design and styling. The development is environmentally-friendly and meets green design standards.

Pendleton ArtsBlock can accommodate interested households regardless of income, providing a range of housing options, from income-based housing where residents pay no more than 30 percent of their income in rent to market-rate housing.

In January 2016, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development executed a five-year, $30-million Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant for the Paseo Gateway project site as well as support for revitalization of Pendleton Heights and portions of the Paseo West and Independence Plaza neighborhoods.

Choice Neighborhoods focuses on housing, people and neighborhoods. The goal is to replace distressed public and assisted housing with mixed-income housing to help create the conditions needed for public and private investment in neighborhoods lacking various amenities and assets, including safety, good schools and commercial activity. The Kansas City, Missouri, Parks and Recreation Department will invest nearly $1 million in a renovation to Independence Plaza Park next door in 2020.

In addition to housing, Pendleton ArtsBlock also includes arts and supportive services programming. Arts Asylum will curate the arts activities in the building while Mattie Rhodes Center will provide wrap-around services for residents. Finally, Charlotte Street Foundation is running its Startup Residency Program out of three micro-retail bays. The first Startup Residency Program fellows are the African American Artists Collective, Kansas City Public Theater and the Kansas City Society of Contemporary Photography.

“Building off the strength of the vibrant, diverse Pendleton Heights neighborhood, Pendleton ArtsBlock merges high quality design, mixed-income housing and the arts with a focus on creating a great place to live for the residents,” said David Brint, Principal of Brinshore Development.

Across the street from Pendleton ArtsBlock is the 555 Olive Center, run by United Way, which provides services with 15 agencies as tenants and the Harmony Project KC, an after-school music program. Down the street is the Scuola Vita Nuova Charter School and Pendleton Flats, a 30-unit, mixed-income development, which Brinshore/HAKC completed in 2017. Finally, a new coffee shop, Split Log, recently opened up next door on Olive Street.

“Ensuring that high-quality, affordable housing options exist for Kansas Citians of all income levels is imperative as we work toward real housing equity in our community,” said Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. “This Pendleton ArtBlock project is a good example of the public-private partnerships we will continue striving for.”

The development is the third phase of the Paseo Gateway Choice Neighborhoods revitalization strategy to reinvigorate the Pendleton Heights, Independence Plaza and Paseo West communities. HAKC, the city, United Way of Greater Kansas City and Brinshore partnered to secure and implement the grant.

The Choice Neighborhoods grant will fund the demolition of Chouteau Courts apartments, located at Independence and Paseo, support “placemaking” activities in the surrounding neighborhood and provide supportive services and mixed-income housing options for former public housing residents in mixed-income housing developments, including Pendleton ArtsBlock.

“Pendleton ArtsBlock exemplifies what is possible when the public and private sector get creative to address the shortage of affordable housing in Kansas City. This development provides high-quality affordable housing for people of all incomes,” said Edwin Lowndes, HAKC Executive Director and member of the City’s Affordable Housing Task Force.

The development was made possible through state and federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits from the Missouri Housing Development Commission, Home Investment Partnership funds from the city and CHOICE Neighborhoods Implementation Grant funds from HUD. US Bank was the equity investor and Central Bank of Kansas City (located across the street from the development) was the construction lender. 4Sight Construction served as the general contractor.

Two other phases, Quinlan Row and Quinlan Place, are coming on line over the next few months, a few blocks away.