Manhattan City release
In 2024, the Manhattan City Commission adopted the Move MHK! Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan. This 20-year strategy outlines possible development and a community feedback loop to guide future parks and recreation investments.
At the same time, a private coalition called Riverfront MHK was gathering input from key community stakeholders and raising funds to energize the idea of developing the Kansas River on the east and west banks, adjacent to downtown Manhattan. With the funds they raised, this coalition hired a private firm, MCLV, to facilitate conversations and produce a vision of how residents, visitors, and tourists could potentially access and engage with the riverfront.
City leadership, encouraged by these private efforts, challenged staff to partner with the groups to incorporate their work into a public planning process and plan. Since most of the study area is publicly owned land and envisioned as a park area, with accompanying amenities and programming, it made sense for the plan to live under the Move MHK! plan.
The City invites you to review the Riverfront MHK Vision Plan developed by MCLV to spark ideas and generate comments on the potential development of the riverfront into a community asset. You are also invited to one of the open house sessions on Wednesday, July 2 in the Commission Room at City Hall, 1101 Poyntz Avenue. Session 1 is noon to 1 p.m. and Session 2 is 6 to 7 p.m.