Kansas City, MO. — The city approved plans for a mixed-use project on the corner of 27th and Troost on Wednesday. The project will bring 182 apartments and 12,000 square feet of retail space to the Beacon Hill area.

Some are calling the development risky, but developer John Hoffman with UC-B Properties said it’s a risk worth taking. Hoffman said the developing lot at 27th and Troost will help the neighborhood grow. “We see such potential here” said Hoffman, “and we really are starting from almost an empty space,”.

UC-B Properties is working with another company from Indianapolis that’s known for being able to develop where others have had challenges.

“I would say 10 years ago it was a risky spot,” Hoffman said.

But Hoffman said he does not see it that way any more. UC-B Properties has built new developments and refurbished old ones across Kansas City’s urban core.

Hoffman said he is confident the next spot for growth is just east of Troost.

“We see that people are looking a little bit further east now,” Hoffman said. “We think the real pioneers are going to be moving along Troost and along the Paseo.”

Hoffman is aware that people are calling the $24 million project a risk, but he is confident it will pay off for the people that live here.

“We take the risk, but there’s a lot of rewards for the community,” Hoffman said.

Groundbreaking is expected to happen in the next few months. The project could take up to a year and a half to complete.

SOURCE: kshb.com, Alyssa Donovan

Original Article: http://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/27th-and-troost-development-moves-forward