Power & Light District Receives National Award

The Kansas City Power & Light District has been honored by a major shopping center trade association for its innovative design.

The International Council of Shopping Centers has given the downtown entertainment district its inaugural Gold U.S. Design and Development Award.

The honor, announced today, recognizes what the ICSC called “outstanding projects for excellence. “

“The Kansas City Power & Light District culminated 40 years of the city (TM)s efforts to transform an area of urban blight into a vibrant downtown core, “ according to the association.

The release added the development was “master planned in an environmentally sensitive manner to incorporate public space and roof top parks which now attracts 8 million visitors yearly. “

The 7 1/2−block entertainment district developed by the Cordish Co. of Baltimore began opening its businesses about two years ago and expects to be 83 percent occupied by this March.

Besides the new construction, including the Kansas City Live block at 14th and Grand, the project also renovated and reopened the historic Mainstreet Theater into a digital movie complex.

This is the second major national award the district has received. It won an Award for Excellence from the Urban Land Institute earlier this year.