Our team provided master planning, landscape architecture and progressive design-build services for the Founder’s Park at Current Landing in Kansas City, Missouri. This project unlocks pedestrian access along the Missouri River while expanding and diversifying program opportunities for the Berkley Riverfront.
The Kansas City riverfront was originally developed in the mid-1800s as a transportation and trade hub, but over time its banks became blighted with industrial contamination and disinvestment. Today, the riverfront reemerges, undergoing a renaissance guided by intentional planning, development partnerships, ecological renewal and a desire to reestablish a connection to the city’s origins along the river. This project advances the city’s riverfront reinvestment by creating new public open space along the Missouri River, extending its park network and seamlessly merging pedestrian use with adjacent development.
Founder’s Park will encompass approximately 2 acres of waterfront open space, featuring restored native habitats, curated pedestrian amenities including a river overlook, trails, walkways, children’s play spaces and performance zones set against the backdrop of the river, the Christopher S. Bond Bridge and Current Landing. These core open space infrastructure improvements are designed to adapt and thrive alongside the ever-changing Missouri River, emphasizing ecological restoration efforts and support for stormwater management and erosion control. The park’s design will foster the symbiotic relationship between human experience and the natural forces that have shaped our landscapes.
Positioned above the Missouri River, which has historically fluctuated more than 40 feet between low and flood stages, the overlook provides a front-row seat to one of the most dynamic natural systems in the region. The nearly 300-linear-foot elevated walkway extends in a V-shaped form, projecting outward and drawing visitors as close to the water as possible. At night, integrated RGBW lighting transforms the structure, shifting to reflect game day colors and community identity.
Visitors are invited to pause and experience the movement of water and the ever-changing edge of the river, creating space for shared experiences, celebrations or quiet reflection while reconnecting with the Missouri River, Current Landing and the Berkley Riverfront.
