PROJECT

Westport Stormwater Improvements

We provided study, planning and community engagement services and are providing progressive design-build services to address 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. The vast majority 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.

We assembled an integrated team of engineers, urban planners and landscape architects to take a unique approach — outside a traditional stormwater design standard — to address the flooding problems, align with the Westport District Plan and create a higher value investment. The goal was not to eliminate flooding but to reduce it to a point where property is not damaged 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 stakeholder, MultiStudio. 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. We also supported strategic communications, construction communication, utility relocation and green infrastructure initiatives.

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

Streets

Industries

Water

Transportation

That partnership and the engagement and communications with affected stakeholders will continue into the design and construction phases, using the input of affected businesses and residents to 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 combined with the city’s 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 integrates 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 recommended 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 have the additional benefit of helping 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.

This progressive design-build initiative is moving into the construction phase in 2025.