SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) -Springfield’s City Council approved a new plan to spur development along a three-and-a-half-mile stretch of the Kearney Street Corridor.
In 2018, the Kearney Street Corridor was declared a blighted area, citing, among other things, two-thirds of the buildings in poor or fair condition, a prevalence of litter, and 10% of the buildings fully or partially vacant. The city tried once before to incentivize new development in the area, and is now trying again to push revitalization of a main artery of the city’s north side.
“The main thing about Kearney Street is the old reputation and the rundown buildings,” said John Waddell, the owner of AmGrows on Kearney Street. “The eyesores are not hard to find around here: tall, unmanicured lawns, trash, and graffiti on buildings that are vacant.”…