Riverfront Heritage Trail

Vince and Heidi collaborated to write grant proposals which secured over $20 million in funding for a 15-mile bicycle & pedestrian trail now in place along the downtown Kansas City riverfront.

Project Background

Vince wrote grant proposals which directly resulted in the capture of $22 million in funding for, and then oversaw the planning, design, and initial construction of, the Kansas City Riverfront Heritage Trail bicycle-pedestrian trail system. Today, the Heritage Trail is a highly used urban amenity for downtown Kansas City.

Importance of Collaboration

Vince and Heidi collaborated to implement a Call to Artists which resulted in the commissioning of several pieces of unique public art which celebrate the culture and history of the bi-state Kansas City urban riverfront.

Brownfield Federal Showcase

Vince served as program director of the Kansas City Brownfields Federal Showcase, while serving on an Intergovernmental Personnel Assignment from US Army Corps of Engineers.  Vince practiced “entrepreneurial government” by writing grant applications which successfully captured $43 million in local, state, and federal public funding. Vince’s leadership helped secured funding for several high visibility, politically complex “brownfield” site remediation and redevelopment projects in Kansas City's bi-state urban core. 

Publications and Citations:

  1. Congressional Record Citation for contribution to State of Missouri as Kansas City Brownfields Federal Showcase Program Director, introduced by U.S. Representative Karen McCarthy, D-Mo., 2002.

  2. Mayoral Proclamation for Outstanding Service to the City of Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Kay Barnes and the City Council of Kansas City, Missouri, 2002.

  3. Inaugural President’s Award for Outstanding Service, for leadership of Brownfields Redevelopment and the Riverfront Heritage Trail Project, Central Industrial District Association, Kansas City, Missouri, 2002.

  4. Bilardo, V.J., and Bracker, A.J., “The Riverfront Heritage Trail in Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri,” National Conference on Transportation and Environment for the 21st Century, Pittsburgh, PA, July 22, 2000.