Kansas
Kansas City drops parking minimums for much of the city. Here’s what it means.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Kansas City has eliminated the blanket minimum parking requirements for new buildings across a large portion of the city, but that does not mean new development will suddenly go up without any parking at all.
The Kansas City Council voted 11-2 on Wednesday to amend the city’s development code, removing the automatic requirement that new buildings provide a set number of parking spaces based on size and use. The change applies to all properties within what the ordinance calls the “Urban Core,” a zone far larger than just downtown.
Before the vote, if someone wanted to build something new in the Urban Core, expand an existing building, or change how a property was being used, the city automatically required a minimum number of parking spaces depending on the size and type of the project. That blanket rule is now gone for all three scenarios.
The change of use piece may matter most to small business owners. Under the old rules, something as common as a vacant storefront converting to a restaurant could trigger a parking requirement that was difficult to meet on a dense urban block, potentially killing the project before it started.
The Urban Core boundary runs from the Missouri River to the north, 85th Street to the south, State Line Road to the west, and the Blue River to the east, taking in Midtown, Westport, Hyde Park, the Crossroads, 18th and Vine, the Troost corridor, and large parts of South Kansas City. It is a much larger area than just downtown.
The city’s planning department found that Kansas City has an oversupply of parking, meaning large amounts of paved surface sit underused. The old code applied the same parking requirements to dense urban neighborhoods and rural outskirts alike, a one-size-fits-all approach that often made development in the Urban Core difficult. The ordinance’s stated goal is to promote “public transportation, biking, walking, and rideshare” and to support more walkable development.
A no vote with nuance
Council Member Crispin Rea was one of just two members to vote against the ordinance. He was not against the idea, but wanted to start smaller, with a pilot program in a handful of neighborhoods, before applying the change across the entire Urban Core.
“The reason I prefer that approach is because you have an opportunity to show folks how it can work, if it can work, and work out some of the challenges along the way,” Rea said.
He also offered reassurance to anyone worried the change means no parking will be built at all.
“It doesn’t mean that developers, projects and businesses suddenly don’t have to provide parking,” he said. “It’s more on a case-by-case basis. It still has to go through the city approval process, which includes public engagement. And oftentimes, what happens with these projects is the lenders and the investors in these projects require a certain amount of parking.”
“So what this does is instead of making the requirement the city’s requirement, it’s going to be more market-driven, but with all the community engagement that we ordinarily do,” Rea added.
The Midtown Neighborhood Alliance submitted multiple letters opposing the ordinance during the months-long review process. The Hyde Park Neighborhood Association submitted both support and opposition testimony at different points.
A Midtown restaurant owner who lived the old rules
Laura Norris, owner of Ragazza, an Italian restaurant at 43rd and Main Streets in Midtown, knows the old rules firsthand. She struggled to comply with parking requirements at her first location near Westport. At her current location in a historic building, she had exactly enough spaces with none to spare.
“I’m a proponent of historic preservation and reusing historic properties, which often don’t have the type of parking that is required to get your building permit,” Norris said. “So I’m excited that people can go into historic areas and not have that requirement, because it’s kind of an incubator for small businesses.”
Norris has a large tongue-in-cheek sign at her restaurant that reads: “PLEASE DON’T ASK ABOUT THE PARKING #STREETCAR2025.”
Lack of parking was a common complaint. It still is, but she said that is changing.
“I probably need to update that sign because it’s not as big of a complaint as it was,” she said.
Kansas City isn’t alone in making this change
Across the state line, Kansas City, Kansas took a similar step in July 2025, though the two cities approached it differently.
The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas placed a three-year moratorium on parking minimums east of Interstate 635, covering roughly half of that city. KCK’s reform was narrower: it applied only to commercial construction, business uses and mixed-use buildings of up to six units. Larger residential developments were not included, and the moratorium expires July 17, 2028, or when a new zoning code is adopted.
KCMO’s change is a permanent amendment to the city’s development code and applies broadly across all use types within the Urban Core.
| Kansas City, KS | Kansas City, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | 3-year moratorium | Permanent code change |
| Area | East of I-635 | Urban Core (Missouri River to 85th St.) |
| Applies to | Commercial, business uses, mixed-use up to 6 units | All uses within the Urban Core |
| Expires | July 17, 2028 (or new zoning code) | No expiration |
| Review | None specified | City manager reports back in 1 year |
The Institute for Justice, a national nonprofit that worked with KCK officials on their reform, said at the time: “Parking minimums cost small businesses significant amounts of money, prevent them from using their land in the way they see fit, and deprive cities of connectivity.”
The KCMO ordinance requires the city manager to report back to the city council within one year on how the change is working and to make recommendations on parking enforcement.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
One of the top prospects in the 2027 boys’ high school basketball recruiting class recently trimmed his list of suitors, and the Kansas Jayhawks find themselves firmly in the mix.
KU is one of eight schools to make the cut for 2027 five-star small forward Demarcus Henry, according to On3 National Basketball Reporter Joe Tipton. His list of eight includes some of the best programs in the country: Kansas, Ohio State, Kentucky, North Carolina, BYU, Arkansas, UConn, and Louisville.
The 6-foot-7 Charlotte, North Carolina, native is one of the best players in the 2027 class. He’s currently ranked as the No. 5 player overall and the No. 1 player at his position, according to the most recent On3.com 2027 player rankings.
As a junior this past year at Compass Prep High School in Chandler, Arizona, Henry averaged 15.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game as he helped lead his team to a 25-3 record.
He followed that up with an impressive performance at the NBPA Top 100 camp this summer, leading all attendees in scoring (20.0 points per game) and rebounding (9.3 rebounds per game). He was also a member of the 2026 USA Men’s U18 National Team that earned a silver medal at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup earlier this summer in León, Mexico.
When speaking about his game, Henry mentions his versatility and how he’s developed over the past year.
“I’m just very versatile,” Henry told Rivals in a previous interview. “I can play one through four and just help my teammates and hit shots and play defense. I watch a lot of KD (Kevin Durant) and Paul George. How they score it, and how they could shoot off the dribble, shoot off the catch. I’ve gotten tougher and just more aggressive when I transferred AZ Compass and just being able to get downhill, I feel like that’s really developed for me.”
When asked about what he’s looking for in a potential home at the college level, Henry says he wants to be challenged and grow his game for the NBA.
“What I’m looking for in school is someone that just pushes me to be better,” Henry said. “Help me grow into the person I know I can be and someone who will help me reach my potential. I want to play for a coach that will hold me accountable and help me make me uncomfortable and keep growing and keep getting better and just help me reach the NBA, which is my ultimate goal.”
Early Contenders
Right now the early favorite to land Henry may be the basketball program with the least amount of notoriety of the final eight schools – and that is Ohio State.
Henry has a lot of familial ties to the university as his older brother Chris Henry Jr. is a five-star incoming freshman wide receiver for the Buckeyes football team this year, and his older sister Seini Henry is a talented women’s basketball player at Ohio State.
He’s already taken an unofficial visit to the school and has also taken an unofficial visit to BYU. Thus far, they are the only schools to have received a visit.
Follow
The Royals have been linked to shortstop Jacob Lombard out of Gulliver Prep (Fla.) — if he makes it that far — left-hander Gio Rojas out of Stoneman Douglas (Fla.) HS, outfielder Eric Booth Jr. out of Oak Grove (Fla.) HS, UC Santa Barbara right-hander Jackson Flora and Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress, among others. Maybe they shake up the board and go with Huntington Beach (Calif.) HS left-hander/outfielder Jacob Grindlinger, who is just 17 years old after reclassifying for this year’s Draft and has legitimate upside as a two-way player. Grindlinger is No. 16 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 250 Draft prospects list and is rising on boards as Draft day nears.
Prep players usually mean a lot of upside but with more risk, while college players bring a higher floor and more experience — often with a chance to move quickly. Over the full Draft, the Royals are going to value both.
“There’s a good mix of high school and college,” Bridges said. “To tell you the truth, our range is pretty broad. There’s a clear-cut four players, five players in this Draft, and then believe it or not, where we’re picking, you can go a number of different directions. So we have a pretty good balance of what we’re looking at, both high school and college.”
The Kansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 7, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 7 drawing
02-31-35-36-63, Mega Ball: 12
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from July 7 drawing
Midday: 4-2-9
Evening: 2-7-9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning 2 By 2 numbers from July 7 drawing
Red Balls: 07-26, White Balls: 12-18
Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 7 drawing
27-43-48-49-50, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Kansas Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at select Kansas Lottery offices.
By mail, send a winner claim form and your signed lottery ticket to:
Kansas Lottery Headquarters
128 N Kansas Avenue
Topeka, KS 66603-3638
(785) 296-5700
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a claim form, and deliver the form along with your signed lottery ticket to Kansas Lottery headquarters. 128 N Kansas Avenue, Topeka, KS 66603-3638, (785) 296-5700. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Kansas Lottery.
When are the Kansas Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3 Midday/Evening: 1:10 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. CT daily.
- 2 By 2: 9:30 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Super Kansas Cash: 9:10 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Kansas editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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