Project

Westport Stormwater Improvements

We provided study, planning and community engagement services and are executing the improvements as a design-build project to reduce frequent and severe flooding in Westport, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Kansas City. This project is the city’s first progressive design-build project, a collaboration between KC Water, City of Kansas City Missouri Parks & Recreation Department, and Kansas City Public Works.

The area was first developed in the 1800s, and the natural topography and land use within the neighborhood has changed significantly. Most of the area was covered with pavement and buildings, enclosing a former creek with a brick combined sewer, obstructing natural overland drainage paths. Repeated flooding and damage have been documented via numerous stormwater studies, resulting in solutions that were tied to a traditional stormwater design standard that was neither affordable nor constructable within the highly developed area. While this proposed solution will not eliminate flooding, the project will improve the quality of life for residents and businesses.

We assembled an integrated team of engineers, construction project managers, urban planners, landscape architects and communications specialists to take a unique approach — outside a traditional stormwater design standard — to reduce the flooding problems, align with the Westport District Plan and create a higher value investment. The goal was not to eliminate flooding but to manage it to a point where the impact on property is reduced and public roads remain passable, significantly improving conditions for frequent rainfall events.

Throughout the planning stages, our team led a robust community engagement strategy in collaboration with our local partner and project stakeholders, MultiStudio and Vireo. Through that process, we gathered stakeholder input that informed the planning process. We held a public open house and stakeholder meetings aimed primarily at the businesses in Westport.

The project also facilitated robust stakeholder engagement around the activation of Dr. Jeremiah Cameron Park, designed to commemorate the Penn School, Steptoe neighborhood and other important elements of Westport’s African American history. The project team developed a funding strategy for the park stakeholder group that resulted in securing over $250,000 in grants to fund art, historic signage and future park amenities.

Client

Westport Regional Business League and City of Kansas City, Missouri

Location

Kansas City, Missouri

Region

Midwest

Services

Wastewater & Stormwater Collection

Green Infrastructure

Stormwater Management

Construction

Industries

Water

Transportation

3.5+

million gallons of stormwater storage

feet of corridor reconstruction

linear feet of streetscape improvements

4.8K

linear feet of storm sewer

17K

square feet of permeable pavers

1.3K

square feet of stormwater tree planters

That partnership, engagement and communications with affected stakeholders continued into the final design and now construction phases. The input of affected businesses and residents will help shape design details and construction phasing, communicating the focus on providing the greatest flood benefit at an affordable cost.

Using a 2D model that reflects observed flooding conditions combining the city’s sewer infrastructure data with the latest digital elevation model and collected topographic survey data, the team evaluated both green and gray stormwater improvement options. Stormwater improvement features were designed, sized and located to align with the district plan for parking improvements, streetscape enhancements, increased pedestrian safety and connectivity, all while maintaining the historical significance of the area.

The stormwater system solution includes underground storage, permeable pavers, stormwater street trees, and traditional inlets and pipes to address the frequent flooding while integrating surface improvements to achieve multiple community goals. The design also features cutting-edge technology using real-time controls to maximize the stormwater storage benefit with a reuse component that facilitates repurposing of the collected water to sustain plants — treating stormwater as the valuable resource it is rather than a waste product that would otherwise be sent to the wastewater treatment plant.

The streetscape improvements are centered around a complete corridor reconstruction, transforming an existing underutilized street into a multiuse corridor that adds streetscape elements, safety enhancements and creates a pedestrian connection from Westport to the Country Club Plaza, a neighboring retail, office and residential center.

The design philosophy goes beyond single-purpose infrastructure, allowing this stormwater project to create the opportunity for more impactful improvements to the district at a price the city can afford. The preferred improvement solution is tens of millions of dollars less than previous solutions. When complete, this integrated flood reduction project will also help the city meet its federal consent decree to reduce combined sewer overflow (CSO) to Brush Creek.

During design, other project performance improvements will be evaluated, including real-time controls of the storage volume, stormwater reuse opportunities, and integration with another green infrastructure project downstream, to increase performance and maximize the benefit of both projects.

The progressive design-build approach has reduced time, provided proactive engagement with stakeholders, addressed critical risk items, and allowed for design flexibility, as the design and construction teams work as one.

The project began construction in 2025 and is expected to be complete in 2026.