Peaks and valleys ahead in the New Year through the eyes of Kansas City’s mayor
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Some make resolutions, others make predictions with the start of a new year. But, if you are the mayor, you have no choice but to do both.
KCTV5′s Carolyn Long sat down for an extensive conversation with Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas to get his take on the biggest things on his plate in 2024.
All in all, Lucas looked back on 2023 with amazement. The city saw the opening of a new terminal at KCI, population growth, new developments in East Kansas City and the West Bottoms, and, of course, a Super Bowl win and championship parade for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The mayor was proud to say that any one of those things could be a “stand-alone” success, but Kansas City has found a way to walk and chew gum at the same time.
“Rather than just having one interesting thing a year, or one every two years, big things keep happening,” said Lucas.
As he looked ahead to 2024, he was most looking forward to the opening of the KC Current soccer stadium and all that it will bring to the riverfront, the developments on a downtown stadium for the Kansas City Royals and the positive global attention frequent visitor Taylor Swift is bringing to our metro area.
“Taylor Swift in town is like the economic development agency for this entire region,” said Lucas.
Unfortunately, not all issues and problems get a clean slate coming into a new year. There’s no denying the dark cloud that was the deadliest year yet in Kansas City history for homicides.
Lucas admitted that “it’s painful, particularly when you look at the younger and younger victims that we’re dealing with, and the younger and younger assailants.”
He went on to say, “We can’t be our best if we are burying 180 people a year. These are real things we need to address and I think that’s going to be the great challenge of the year ahead.”
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