Working with a national design firm, CP&A helped prepare an urban design master plan. The goal was to meld Kansas City's unique legacy of grand atmospheric 1920s movie houses and its jazzy traditions into a downtown cultural park where art and music could flourish in a rejuvenated urban setting.
A successful linkage of existing retail department stores with the new development of the 39-story mixed-use AT&T Town Pavilion building and six existing major office towers inspired the idea of creating an attractive cultural development that was fitting of such a commercial renaissance.
The implementation of the streetscape and pedestrian enhancements would be carried out by a public/private partnership. A major downtown property owner, Crosstown Development Corporation, commissioned the master plan with concern not only for economic development but also quality of life issues intrinsic to successful urban improvements.