PARKVILLE, MO, AUGUST 18, 2020 – Pocket Park is located in the heart of downtown Parkville at Main Street and 1st Street. In April 2019, Parkville voters approved a one-half percent park sales tax to be used to fund capital improvements to the City’s parks, including the neighborhood parks – Adams Park, Watkins Park and Pocket Park. The City of Parkville engaged BBN Architects to lead the stakeholder discussion and develop two distinct concepts for improvements to Pocket Park.
Beginning in 2014 with the adoption of Vision Downtown Parkville, Pocket Park has been a priority for the City. Since that time, the City has:
- Incorporated the development of a Pocket Park Master Plan in its capital improvement plan that will be used to promote downtown redevelopment and vibrancy and guide future budgetary decision-making; and
- In December 2019, the Board of Aldermen adopted the 2020 budget that included funding for projects that would use the park sales tax revenue, including improvements to Pocket Park; and
- In June 2020, the Board of Aldermen approved a work authorization with BBN Architects to create the Pocket Park Master Plan and design improvements to the park; and
- In June and July, two stakeholder meetings were held to gather feedback. The stakeholders were a representation of downtown business owners, the Main Street Parkville Association (MSPA), the Parkville Old Towne Market Community Improvement District (POTMCID), elected officials and City staff on the current challenges and the future vision; and
- On August 4, the Board of Aldermen and the Community Land and Recreation Board held a joint work session to review two distinct design concepts proposed by BBN Architects which are available on the City’s website at http://parkvillemo.gov/community/parks/park-projects/; and
- A joint meeting with MPSA and the POTMCID will be held to review the design concepts presented at the August 4 work session.
The City is seeking the public’s input on which features should be included in Pocket Park through an online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PocketParkSurvey. The survey closes on September 4.
For more information about the project, contact Public Works Director Alysen Abel at (816) 741-7676.
