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THE BRUSH CREEK BULLETIN Volume 5, Issue 2 February 2003   HOSPITAL REVEALS "NEW SAINT LUKE'S" Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City has announced a 25-year, $150 million expansion and renovation of its 17.2 acre campus at 44th Street and Wornall Road. Saint Luke’s has filed an application with the city to seek designation of the campus as a master plan district. The designation would simplify the hospital’s ability to improve access to the hospital and nearby physician offices by allowing traffic flow, parking and signage improvements.   Rendering of Saint Luke's Hospital's new main entrance on Broadway.   Implementation of the plan will be completed in two major phases. The first phase will occur on the existing campus over the next ten years to include: construction of a multi-story patient care facility adjoining the main hospital building where the Spencer Center for Education and the College of Nursing are currently located; construction of a multi-story link between the existing hospital and new patient care facility; renovation and reconstruction of the main hospital to allow expansion of the Mid America Heart Institute and Mid America Brain and Stroke Institute to a nine-story structure; construction of a multi-storied structure to house hospital service functions, and medical education and administrative offices, and substantial parking additions. Phase two is anticipated to occur from 2014 to 2025 and provide for future growth in areas north and west of the existing campus. It includes removal of the existing hospital building to allow for the construction of additional buildings to house medical office, clinic and education services, a parking structure, and creation of a traditional campus quad at the north campus. Throughout the rest of this year, Saint Luke’s will solicit input from physicians, employees and other key stakeholders to assist in the design of a workplace environment. Saint Lukes’ Hospital of Kansas City is a member of Brush Creek Community Partners. George Hayes, the hospital’s senior vice president, is a member of the BCCP Board of Directors.   ROCKHURST SPORTS COMPLEX ATTRACTS $2.6 MILLION GIFT FROM TRUSTEE CHAIR Rockhurst University has received a $2.6 million gift to complete Loyola Park athletic complex on the campus. The donation was made by DST Systems President and Chair of Rockhurst’s Board of Trustees Tom McDonnell and his wife Jean. The gift moves the university within $1.4 million of its $50 million “Excellence In the City” capital campaign goal. The campaign is scheduled to end this May. Loyola Park will include a baseball field, tennis courts, a soccer field and jogging paths. It is under construction on the southeast edge of the campus bounded by 53rd and 54th Streets and The Paseo and Tracy Street. The baseball field should be ready for practice in 2004. Work on the six tennis courts and soccer field should start this summer. Rockhurst University President Rev. Edward Kinerk, S.J., is a member of the Brush Creek Community Partners Board of Directors.   NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL PROMOTES REINVESTMENT The Brush Creek Neighborhood Council mobilized Corridor neighborhood leaders and residents to maximize the community's potential benefit from the availability of tax credits from the State of Missouri. Twice in February, H & R Block made its Service Center at 4400 Blue Parkway available to the Neighborhood Council to conduct on-line instructional sessions to homeowners and neighborhood leaders. Neighborhood Council Co-chair Bill Hart led participants through the application process for state neighborhood preservation and historic tax credits. As a result of these sessions, by late February, applications totaling close to one-half million dollars had been filed, enhancing the potential for residential reinvestment in the Corridor.   CITY WORK INCLUDES IMPROVEMENTS ALONG BRUSH CREEK The Kansas City City Council approved an ordinance in February authorizing work to begin on the replacement of Troost Bridge over Brush Creek. The first three phases of the project, from development and planning to final design, is expected to take up to 28 months. HNTB has been selected as the project consultant, whose job will include working with the community on the design of the bridge and the streetscape along Troost from 42nd Street to 52nd Street. The city is working with citizens to prepare a Flood Mitigation Plan for the Town Fork Creek Watershed. In February citizens had an opportunity to talk one-on-one with the city’s project team regarding their flooding concerns and discuss ways to reduce flood risks and minimize flooding impacts. This input is being used to draft a plan of action. The draft plan will be presented for public comment at a second meeting scheduled Wednesday, March 12, 5 to 7 p.m. at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center, 3700 Blue Parkway. The Kansas City Walkability Plan is moving toward adoption by the City Council. The City Planning and Development Department, working in partnership with other agencies and the community, created a plan improve walkability in Kansas City by changing the way we think about transportation, measure walkability, and design streets and developments. Among the plan’s recommendations are: Requiring developers and the city to measure walkability and mitigate problems in major site and street development/redevelopment. New walkability measures include, directness, continuity, street crossings, visual interest and amenities and security. Street crossings are a particular problem in the Brush Creek Corridor as Brush Creek is bordered on both sides by major, high-traffic streets. Changing codes and standards to improve connectivity, site, and street design related to walkability. Assisting neighborhoods with the Neighborhood Walking Survey (available on city’s website at: http://www.kcmo.org/planning/pdf/walkability.pdf ) and be flexible making safety improvements. Prioritizing walkability improvements to those that are: ADA-disability related; pedestrian zones; high and medium demand areas, and priority changes recommended by neighborhoods based on the Neighborhood Walking Survey. The Brush Creek Corridor is one of the designated Pedestrian Zones. Coordinating pedestrian planning and education. For more information on the Troost Bridge and Town Fork Creek Watershed projects, contact Public Works Manager of Special Projects Karin Jacoby, P.E., at 816-513-7975 or e-mail karin_jacoby@kcmo.org. To see the draft walkability plan visit http://www.kcmo.org/planning.nsf/plnpres/walkability?opendocument or contact City Planning and Development Senior Planning Specialist Lynnis Jameson at 513-2853 or lynnis_jameson@kcmo.org , or Fifth and Sixth District Planner Gerald Williams at 816-513-2897 or gerald_williams@kcmo.org if you have questions or comments.   KIRKWOOD DEVELOPMENT TAKES OFF DST Realty Vice President Tom McGee, Mayor Kay Barnes and South Plaza Neighborhood Association President Keith Spare celebrate the opening of the Kirkwood Sales Center and start of the Kirkwood’s construction in January. Kirkwood is a new neighborhood featuring a private park surrounded by lots for custom single family homes, luxury townhomes and elegant condominium residences in three different building types. The projected sell out of the entire development is estimated at over $150 million, with several residences and lots sold before the Sales Center opened. The developer is Kirkwood Realty Company, LLC, an affiliate of DST Realty and SCOL, Inc., who have also been actively involved in the redevelopment of the West Side of downtown Kansas City under the name Broadway Square Partners. The Sales Center and furnished model are located at 49th and Wyandotte Streets. DST Realty is an affiliate of DST Systems, a member of Brush Creek Community Partners. CENTER SPONSORS IRISH IMMIGRATION EXHIBIT A unique exhibit telling the story of Irish immigration is brought to Kansas City in March by the Irish Museum and Cultural Center and the Kansas City Public Library. “Home for the Heart,” on loan from the Irish American Heritage Museum in Albany, New York, will be at the Waldo branch library March 2 to 31. “This exhibit with its focus on immigration illustrates a vital chapter in American history,” said said Margaret Clark, Kansas City Public Library director of adult programs. “The cast of characters is Irish-American but the human stories are universal, and Kansas Citians of all nationalities will find themselves identifying with the challenges, hardships and triumphs encountered by these immigrants.” “This perfectly supports our mission to share the Irish heritage, and provide opportunities to educate and create a dialogue with all cultures in the Kansas City area,” said Jim Kalmus, president of the Center. The exhibit is open during regular library hours at the branch, 201 E. 75th Street. Special events include a children’s program, 1 to 3 p.m. March 8, with singer/songwriter Jim Cosgrove and storyteller Joyce Slater; an author’s presentation and discussion with Kerby Miller, University of Missouri - Columbia history professor, 7:30 p.m. March 12 at Unity Temple on the Plaza; and genealogy workshop March 23, 2 p.m. at the Waldo library. For exhibit and special event information, call 816-701-3521. The Kansas City Parks and Recreation Commission has committed land at Swope Parkway and Woodland, along the Brush Creek Corridor, for construction of the nonprofit Irish Museum and Cultural Center. Building plans include an auditorium, meeting hall, reception area, museum and library where all Kansas Citians can gather for cultural activities. The center, library and commission are members of Brush Creek Community Partners. PARTNER UPDATES Joseph H. Green begins work as director of the Kansas City Public Library March 10. Green was most recently the director of the Richmond Public Library of Richmond, California. Prior to that he was director at the Nassau Library System in Uniondale, New York. His selection by the Kansas City Public Library's Board of Trustees follows a nationwide search that began in October. He succeeds Dan Bradbury who retired January 31 after 19 years leading Kansas City's urban library system, which serves more than 2.5 million residents in the metropolitan area. Ed Wolf retired January 31 as Kansas City’s Public Works Director after 35 years with the city’s Public Works Department. Wolf served as assistant city engineer and deputy public works director prior to being appointed director in 1994. He also was appointed Assistant City Manager in 1996. He led the Public Works Department in doubling the size of Bartle Hall and helped oversee the upgrading of the city's streetlight system. In 1999, Wolf was recognized by the American Public Works Association as one of its top ten leaders. He served as an ex-officio member of Brush Creek Community Partners Board of Directors. Larry Frevert, the department’s deputy director, has been named acting director and an ex-officio BCCP board member. Terry Dopson, director of Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department for 15 years, will retire July 1. He has overseen the beautification of the Brush Creek Parkway, expansion of the Kansas City Zoo, restoration of the Liberty Memorial and the development of several public-private partnerships to operate and enhance park department holdings. Dopson is an ex-officio member of the Brush Creek Community Partners Board of Directors. The Medical Director of Saint Luke’s Hospitals Regional Laboratories is one of ten laboratory scientists from North America chosen to consult with the Department of Health of the British Government on improving laboratory efficiency. Dr. Frederick Plapp presented data on reducing laboratory test utilization to approximately 200 pathologists and laboratory scientists from the United Kingdom at a seminar at the Royal College of Physicians earlier this month. Since 1996, Saint Luke’s moved from the 75th percentile of teaching hospitals for the number of laboratory tests ordered annually to the 10th percentile, reducing costs to payers by millions of dollars. PARTNERS RECEIVE AND PROVIDE FUNDS FOR SCHOLARSHIP, RESEARCH AND DIALOGUE The University of Missouri-Kansas City has received $1 million in federal research funding for its life sciences research focus on proteomics, the study of the relationship between proteins and diseases at the cellular level. U.S. Senator Christopher Bond of Missouri announced the grant in January, providing additional aid to UMKC to play its role in supporting major life sciences research initiatives in the region. The funds will be used for state-of-the-art instrumentation and modernization of laboratory facilities within the School of Biological Sciences. The Kauffman Foundation has awarded more than $2.3 million in grants for 52 colleges and universities to promote education about entrepreneurship. Recipients were chosen from more than 300 proposals. "Tomorrow's entrepreneurs are in the labs and classrooms of colleges today," says Carl Schramm, foundation president and chief executive officer. "We believe college campuses are an ideal place to reach future entrepreneurs, those leaders who through their ideas and innovations will continue to fuel our economy." Two researchers from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have each been awarded highly selective $150,000 research grants from The March of Dimes. The Basil O’Connor Starter Scholar Research grants, awarded to Stowers Assistant Scientists Jennifer Gerton, Ph.D. and Paul Trainor, Ph.D., will help fund research into the causes of human birth defects. The O’Connor grants, of which 41 are awarded annually, are presented to young scientists who recently won research or faculty appointments. Dr. Gerton’s research will focus on chromosome cohesion. Dr. Trainor’s research will work on craniofacial abnormalities. The Cancer Institute has received a $200,000 Glass Family Foundation grant to be used for the development of a translational research laboratory within the institute’s Division of Cancer Research. The laboratory will develop new and innovative therapies for blood related cancers by harnessing the immune system to combat cancers. The research could have the potential of not only helping cancer patients with leukemia and melanoma’s but also with broader based cancers. Heading the laboratory will be Ying Yan, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine and senior research scientist with the Chinese Medical University, Laboratory of Cancer Immunology in Shenyang, China. The Cancer Institute is an 84-bed specialty hospital dedicated to providing comprehensive cancer care. The institute is a partnership between Saint Luke’s Health System and Health Midwest. The grant will be managed by the Saint Luke’s Hospital Foundation. Three BCCP member institutions and a partner church have collaborated to promote community dialogue on religion and science. Rockhurst University, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the Linda Hall Library of Science and Technology and Second Presbyterian Church, as well as Saint Paul School of Theology, are working together to develop innovative programming and creative approaches to exploring contemporary issues around science and religion. The church is the recipient of a three-year grant from the Local Societies Initiative of the Matanexus Institute to support outreach, communications and educational opportunities to promote and contribute to dialogue and debate on the relationship between science and religion. Group activities will cover topics such as cloning, cosmology, the Human Genome Project, the creation-evolution debate and genetically modified food—a topic of special local significance given the area’s agricultural base. BETH SMITH'S COMMUNITY COMMITMENT EQUALS 40 YEARS OF PROGRESSIVE SERVICE Years ago, Beth Smith had two qualities that started her on a path of civic service in Kansas City. She wanted to be a part of building this community, and she was female. Both were significant in 1957, when Mayor H. Roe Bartle needed another woman on the Human Relations Commission. That step led Smith to serve on more civic bodies than she can name. She is now a member of the Brush Creek Community Partners Board of Directors representing the Kansas City Neighborhood Alliance (KCNA). “The Human Relations Commission was challenging because it helped bring together, for the first time, different groups of people to address schools, housing conditions, citizen complaints against the police department, and other issues,” Smith said. She eventually chaired the commission. After the civil unrest of the 1960s and 70s, she said she understands how important it is for citizens to work together to build bridges between communities. In 1974, she was appointed to the City Plan Commission and helped build those bridges. During her twelve years on the commission, Smith immersed herself in planning and zoning and learned how important those tools are to a city’s development. Beth Smith In the 1980s, Smith focused on finding ways to help women reach their potential. She is a founder of the Women’s Employment Network, the Central Exchange and the Women’s Foundation of Kansas City. She also worked with the Cookingham Institute at UMKC to develop the master’s degree program in nonprofit management, which lead to the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership. Serving on the board of KCNA she finds “there is wonderful cultural and economic development potential that will not occur if neighborhoods are neglected.” She added, “I realized the health of the city is related to the health of neighborhoods, and neighborhoods are not just houses, but the people who will help build their own neighborhoods.” Husband Ed, with a growing law practice, and four children to raise only enhanced her civic involvement. “My family and religion encourages not only taking care of your family, but also your community.” Her BCCP role is a continuation of that commitment. “I feel the Brush Creek concept of bringing together all the surrounding institutions, as well as the planning agencies, is a very healthy direction. The transformation of the Corridor is one of the most important, progressive developments happening in Kansas City.” From building relations and neighborhoods in the 1960s and ‘70s, to empowering women and developing educational opportunities for nonprofit leaders in the 1980s and ‘90s, Beth Smith has been forging a progressive path in Kansas City.