MARTIN CITY NEWS

District Manager Counting on Participation to Fuel Momentum in 2025.

Much like the weather around here, the business landscape in Martin City is always changing. These days, progress seems to be staying ahead of setbacks, and there’s a growing feeling of optimism inside The Martin City Community Improvement District (MCCID). MCCID District Manager Vickie Wolverton says more people, businesses, and organizations are taking notice of Martin City’s potential.

“There’s a sense of enthusiasm in Martin City, even if some projects and plans are still up in the air or moving slowly,” says Wolverton, strolling the neighborhood with us on the 135th Street sidewalk at Wornall Road, near the new Hagen Anderson & Associates EXP Realty headquarters and the recently remodeled Let’s Face It permanent makeup and microblading facility.

“Businesses in Martin City are pulling together and it shows. It’s making our neighborhood preferable, and more attractive for the kind of future investments we want. That’s why the MCCID pushes so hard for more Martin City businesses to get involved in any way they can. Participation, even in small ways, helps us thrive and create a better future.”

Movers and Shakers Shaping the Landscape

We had high hopes for the new ownership of RC’s Restaurant and Rockin’ Wok Thai, but both businesses closed in 2024. The Coast to Coast Pub was also a big loss, but time rolls on, and we’re encouraged by activity involving both current and new businesses.

Rosehill Gardens surprised us with ambitious expansion plans at their headquarters on 135th Street. And by the end of 2024, the new Rosehill Winery had blossomed into a popular hot spot, and perfect complement to our well-known nightlife scene.

In 2025, the Winery is getting even better! They’re hard at work on a dramatic expansion, knocking down walls to create more space, adding rollup style windows for cool new seating opportunities, stone flooring instead of gravel, a corn hole play area, a permanent roof over the fire pits which will become a Beer Garden — WOW! All that plus a Wine Club coming soon!

Long-time area restaurant Dos De Oros officially moved its Rey De Oros Taqueria into the District on Holmes Road, and it’s been a spicy smash hit ever since. And right across the parking lot from the Taqueria, we expect Pegah’s Cafe & Coffee to open this spring where P.S. Coffee used to be, answering the demand for more breakfast dining in Martin City.

Long-time Martin City investor Gary Fish launched his innovative business Secure Passage on Holmes Road, across the street from the global firm Cyderes which Fish originally seeded under the name Fishtech more than a decade ago.

Beautiful Body Tattoo and Piercing moved into the District too, directly across from Jess and Jim’s Steakhouse. Brady Crawford relocated his State Farm Insurance agency into the District, Silverback Storage took over and rebranded South KC Storage, and Trusted Journey Pet Memorial Services opened on Oak Street. Martin City Marketing purchased Federal Printing, expanding its capacity and list of services, and long-time construction industry giant MMC Contractors became Cerris Systems.

Meanwhile, several existing businesses boosted their investments in the District. Rachel Long and her husband Eric unveiled the results of extensive remodeling at The Martin Event Space on the northwest corner of Holmes Road and 135th Street. The effort included everything from the landscaping and the historic building’s exterior, to a classy modernization of lower level spaces indoors. The property, dating back to the 19th century, has never been in better condition. It now hosts themed public parties in addition to private weddings, banquets, and other milestone events that have built The Martin’s reputation.

On the west side of the neighborhood, Luther Mazda of Kansas City celebrated a renovation of its new Martin City location that’s made it more friendly and luxurious. And popular Mexican restaurant El Maguey splashed a colorful 3D sign out front, adding to the style that’s already made it a go-to for margarita flights and happy hour fun.

High-Flyin’ Honors and Major Milestones

Martin City businesses are marking milestones and earning more praise as our community’s profile keeps rising. Can you believe Jack Stack Barbecue, a Martin City original, is now 50 years old? Sidelines Custom Floral Designs on 135th Street and American Companies on Holmes Road have turned 40. The Sharper Edge, along the train tracks, celebrated 25 years in 2024. And wow, Rosehill Gardens is 110!

Kansas City Magazine ranked the Martin City area among Kansas City’s ‘hottest neighborhoods’ in its April 2024 edition! The Pitch Best of KC 2024 gave top honors to Martin City Brewing Company, Jack Stack Barbecue, The Running Well Store, Volleyball Beach, and Smoke and Tokz Superstore. And another popular ranking, Kansas City Favorites by The Kansas City Star, recognized Jack Stack Barbecue, Jess & Jim’s Steakhouse, Margarita’s Martin City, Eagles Gymnastics, Suburban Lawn & Garden and Reno’s Powersports KC.

“Awards and honors are so well-deserved,” says Wolverton. “Martin City businesses are working hard to build a reputation for taking care of customers in a way that’s more common in smaller towns. Visitors frequently tell us they like the friendly, neighborhood feeling here.”

The list goes on! Martin City Ice Cream Company was declared the highest-rated ice cream shop in KC, as reported in the The Kansas City Star, based on a Top 20 ranking by Stacker Newswire using review data from Yelp. Rey De Oros Taqueria’s ice cream came in 11th in the same ranking!

The Martin Event Space scored ‘Best Rehearsal Dinner’ honors by Kansas City Engaged magazine, The Running Well Store was named one of the ‘Best Running Stores’ in the country at a national specialty retail conference. MC Crossfit won top fitness honors from KC Magazine, Pearce Construction earned recognition as a finalist in the Builder’s Excellence Awards, and Smithfield Foods on Wyandotte Street was awarded the Missouri Water Environment Association 2023 Award for their outstanding work in industrial wastewater pretreatment.

Did you see Martin City on TV? Rey De Oros and Martin City Brewing Company were featured on the culinary show Dining with Dave Eckert.

CONGRATULATIONS to all businesses! Too many to mention them all here, but we are proud of every one of our neighbors.

New Optimism for Dormant Properties

We’ve certainly learned property ownership can get sticky. Not every property has one owner, a local owner, or a clear plan for development. Coordinating and constructing is a complicated process when you’re contemplating millions of dollars and the permanency of brick and mortar. But Wolverton says she is seeing an influx of new curiosity about what Martin City is, and what it can become.

“I’m getting more phone calls from developers in particular, who are very interested in Martin City’s potential. They love the District’s location and how businesses here have stepped up to shape an authentic, business-friendly environment built on a colorful history.”

The long abandoned ‘Martin City Sports’ complex on 135th seems on track for an exciting future that could add substantial momentum to the entire neighborhood’s revitalization. Developers are working to rezone the property into a mix of deluxe apartments, restaurants, offices, and maybe even a sports training facility too.

Another step in a positive direction is the sale of the old Sutherlands property at 135th and Holmes. The property is being cleaned up and will be used for commercial storage. We expect the Sutherlands sign to come down soon.

On the other side of Holmes, the future of the old paintball property remains up in the air, but there’s no shortage of interest so our hopes are high. As soon as we know something, we’ll pass it along. The situation is similar at the RC’s Restaurant building and the vacant property next door. The MCCID is doing all it can to move things along at these vacant properties, but our power is limited.

Meanwhile, we encourage all Martin City businesses to remain diligent in the upkeep of their properties.

• Whether your business is large or small, please, don’t allow your building or grounds to fall into disrepair
• Peeling paint, detached gutters, crumbling brick, and overgrown greenery hurt your business and the rest of the neighborhood

The MCCID is working hard to revitalize Martin City. Fielding complaints about eyesores only slows down the effort and weighs on property values.

Developing Infrastructure and Maintaining Services

In terms of key infrastructure supporting the growth of Martin City and the quality of life we share, it’s fair to say that the MCCID’s highest priority continues to be the planned overhaul of Holmes Road:

• The City of Kansas City has informed the MCCID that the design phase of Holmes, everything from sidewalks and bike lanes, to curbs, street lights and gutters, is expected to be completed in 2025
• Funding is now being coordinated for the start of construction, which will likely happen in 2026

“We realize the waiting game is frustrating, but we’re excited to finally see real movement in the Holmes Road project,” says Wolverton. “We’ll keep working to get construction going as soon as possible and keep the pressure on planners. Our work, as a CID, helped speed up the overhaul of 135th Street and we’re definitely boosting urgency around Holmes Road, too.”

A substantial repaving effort last summer is helping Martin City get through the wait. The City received a special grant to repave Holmes from HWY 150 up to almost 120th Street. A stretch of Wornall was included as well. We’ll take what we can get!

In 2025, the KCPD will continue watching over our neighborhood during the day with Community Interaction Officer Mary McCall leading the way. Orion Security will continue patrolling overnight. The MCCID covers costs of Orion’s services aimed at keeping an eye on properties and checking for things like open doors, open gates, and suspicious activity. Business owners must complete a basic form to ensure quick contact if Orion needs to get in touch with you immediately.

Is filling out that form worth it? Ask American Companies on Holmes Road. They credit Orion with limiting an overnight fire that devastated the company’s fleet of industrial vehicles. The business may have been a total loss without early warning from the Orion security team.

The MCCID has also funded the installation of traffic cameras and license plate readers, strategically located at 135th Street and Holmes Road, and 135th and Inverness Drive/Washington Avenue. Police tell us the devices are a substantial deterrent. Knowing they’re there should make thieves and other criminals think twice because escaping detection will be extremely difficult. Cameras and plate readers also speed up response times when a crime has occurred.

American Companies will keep sweeping key streets monthly in 2025. (A reminder to all businesses within the District: you are responsible for your own timely snow removal.) And Rosehill Gardens will continue their landscaping work along our sidewalks, including those hanging baskets and holiday decorations that help give our neighborhood distinctive appeal.

The addition of signage that clearly marks Martin City’s business district boundaries and greets visitors is a hot topic, according to Wolverton. The project is now entering the construction phase. Everything from traffic flow, property permission, City codes, and visibility opportunities are influencing the effort to locate signage in the best spots with the clearest views.

“We’re really excited about signage marking entrances to the MCCID at multiple points surrounding the neighborhood,” says Wolverton, who has been spearheading the project. “Each sign will communicate Martin City as a distinct Kansas City neighborhood, and give a nod to its character and heritage. The first sign will go up this spring.”

The signage project is part of a larger branding project you may have already noticed. Signs will echo new Martin City logos now appearing on everything from our vibrant social media properties to our letterhead and emails. And the MCCID has recently completed the design of a new 5×7 promotional map card that will be available in Martin City businesses, free for the taking.

Growing Events That Strengthen Destination Appeal

In 2024, the Martin City St. Patrick’s Parade drew a huge, wonderful crowd of families having good clean fun along 135th Street as dozens of floats, vehicles, dancers, and even horses passed by. The number of views of our Parade highlights on YouTube climbed into the thousands!

We’re known for our parade, and fans from across the Kansas City area and beyond poured into our streets for our biggest community event of the year. Final coordination is now underway for our 2025 parade set for Sunday March 16 at 2pm with the theme ‘Leaping Leprechauns.’ You can sign up to be in the parade and find sponsorship opportunities for your business or organization at MartinCity.org. Wolverton is now reaching out for volunteers.

“We really need help on parade day. Volunteering is a great way for a business, organization, or church to give back to the community. The work is easy and usually just involves standing at key spots and keeping runners coordinated on the route.”

The Martin City Whiskey Run is making a comeback in 2025 on Sunday, May 18! There’s nothing else quite like it anywhere and that’s why it’s helped our community become a popular destination. Details will follow as we take our tradition to the next level and uncork all the fun planned.

We moved the Martin City Holiday Lighting Celebration to Rosehill Gardens in 2024, and we’re looking to possibly switch locations again this year to spread the fun around. And the MCCID is exploring new events to raise the profile of our hometown culture even higher, including more opportunities like the popular seasonal pop up market on Saturdays outside Sidelines Custom Floral.

“All events in Martin City are the result of hard work and input from businesses that make up the District,” says Wolverton. “We want to do more, but we need more businesses to pitch in. Events bring the community together and strengthen our collective destination appeal. Don’t be shy! Sharing your thoughts could trigger a big idea or spark conversation that leads to a new opportunity. We’ve already got some new event ideas in the works in 2025 thanks to people who spoke up.”

Plenty of Opportunities to Get Involved

We are grateful for members of the local business community who go above and beyond to chart a course for the neighborhood’s future by serving on the MCCID Board of Directors.

Debbie Van Noy of Jess & Jim’s Steakhouse has retired from the MCCID Chairperson position after serving as our leader since the MCCID’s inception way back in 2005. Thanks Debbie! Board member Brad Ziegler of KC Running Company now serves as our new Chair. And Danny Lake of MacNSeitz Baseball & Softball on Holmes Road recently joined the Board.

There’s no doubt that we get more done as a community if we all contribute. Pulling together feeds the momentum of Martin City’s ongoing revitalization effort. Here are at three easy ways your business can pitch in:

1. Attend MCCID Board Meetings. Board meetings are usually held on the second Thursday of each month at 8:30 a.m. at Jess and Jim’s Steakhouse. Meetings are open to the public and you do not need to RSVP if you would like to attend. It’s also a great opportunity to give a presentation highlighting your business!

2. Mix and mingle at MCCID Happy Hours. These events have become very popular as welcome opportunities for local businesses and their employees to get to know each other, compare notes, and have fun. Attendance keeps growing. Join us!

3. Host a MCCID Happy Hour. It’s a great way to market your business! Is your business within the Martin City Community Improvement District? Hosting a MCCID Happy Hour is a valuable opportunity to raise your profile and increase awareness to attract more attention and customers. MCCID promotion of Happy Hours via email and social media photography can reach thousands of people! Set up is easy and there’s very little cost involved. Contact Vickie Wolverton to find out how to sign up at (816) 308-1023 or email her at manager@martincity.org.

4. Join a MCCID Committee to contribute neighborhood improvement ideas. Participation doesn’t require much time and your input will help shape our community’s future. Contact Vickie Wolverton to find out how to get involved.

“Martin City is on track and our future looks bright,” says Wolverton, reflecting on nearly six years as District Manager. “But we really need all the help we can get as we tackle infrastructure projects, develop community services, and forge growth strategies. Now is the perfect time to take ownership and embrace your role in Martin City.”

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