With a vision to bring together many of the needed resources in a single location that can help lift an entire community out of poverty and create systemic change from the inside out, KCKCC plans to build a 119,000 square-foot Downtown Community Education Center that will serve as an anchor institution for Kansas City, Kansas, provide social and economic mobility for its residents, and be a national model for future educational institutions across the country.
“Through collaboration KCKCC can build a sustainable structure to offer life changing education and skills to individuals in downtown KCK.”
Dr. Greg Mosier, KCKCC President
Downtown KCK Demographics
American Community Survey, 2017 & 2018
- More than 18,000 people work full-time and live in poverty - the working poor.
- Approximately 18,000 people do not speak English well enough to obtain and maintain quality employment.
- Nearly 60% of adults have less than a high school diploma.
- Only 10% have a two-year degree.
- 40% of adults live in poverty.
- 54% of children under the age of 18 live in poverty
- Pre-COVID-19 unemployment: 4.5%
- Post COVID-19 unemployment: 14%*
Our Partners - Providing Wrap-Around Services
When working with individuals from the urban core of a metropolitan city, students often bring with them traumatic experiences, challenging living conditions including homelessness and hunger, and other socioeconomic challenges that also need to be addressed so those individuals can focus on learning. To help students overcome these barriers to education while learning new information and skillsets to be successful in the workforce of the future, KCKCC is partnering with select organizations and community service providers to help ensure our most vulnerable students succeed.
Kansas City Kansas Public School District
Working with the local school districts, high school juniors and seniors will attend KCKCC all day and earn their college degree and high school diploma at the same time, with skillsets that will lead them to $50,000 – $60,000 /year employment opportunities.
Wyandot Behavioral Health Network
Wyandot Behavioral Health Network is a family of organizations providing resources for adults, children and families in need of behavioral health services; individuals experiencing homelessness; assistance with housing, employment, and other needs.
YMCA of Greater Kansas City
Bringing health, fitness, healthy living, childcare and other services back to the urban core. Families with young children who attend the YMCA within our Community Education Center will begin to see education as a natural progression.
University of Kansas
Partnering in the Downtown KCKCC Community Educational Center, KU will extend their mission of lifting students and society by educating leaders, building healthy communities and making discoveries that change the world to the residents of the urban core in Kansas City, KS. Students will have opportunities to advance their education and change their lives with a world class institution, right in their backyards.
High Aspirations
Dedicated to providing mentorship and support to at-risk youth by initiating innovative ways to improve their lives socially, emotionally, academically and spiritually.
Cost
| Who/What | Construction | Outfitting |
| All/land acquisition/prep: ($2.5 million) | shared proportionately | N/A |
| Underground Parking: ($2.95 million) | shared proportionately | N/A |
| Street scaping ? road work: ($0.87 million) | shared proportionately | N/A |
| KCKCC- Construction Technology | $5.10 million | $1.00 million |
| KCKCC- Advanced Manufacturing | $5.10 million | $2.00 million |
| Atrium | $1.72 million | $0.25 million |
| KCKCC- Classrooms/Labs/Other Space | $23.47 million | $2.25 million |
| KCKCC- Art Museum/Gallery | $1.27 million | $0.25 million |
| YMCA | $6.60 million | $1.00 million |
| University of Kansas | $2.10 million | $0.38 million |
| High Aspirations | $3.94 million | $0.58 million |
| Wyandot Behavioral Health Network | $2.62 million | $0.48 million |
| Design Contingency 5%: ($2.17 million) | shared proportionately | N/A |
| Construction Contingency 3%: ($1.30 million) | shared proportionately | N/A |
| Construction Cost Escalation 10%: ($4.35 million) | shared proportionately | N/A |
| KCKCC TOTAL $36.78 million | ||
| GRAND TOTAL | $51.62 million | $8.44 million |
