Beginning Soon: Water Play, Hill Slide, New Paths and Erosion Repair. EXCITING!

Projects we’ve requested in past PIAC submissions are reaching the construction phase! Please be careful and patient around “South Meadow” construction this spring and summer. It’ll be worth it. Coming soon:

South Meadow 2026 improvements. Click for a zoomed in gallery of draft construction designs.

The contract was awarded to the team of landscape design firm Vireo and construction firm MegaKC, who consulted with the Conservancy and the parks department as plans were developed over the past year. The PIAC-funded project will include:

1: Fixing erosion issues will be a new path made of buff colored concrete. The new direct path and steps will connect the lobes of the existing very long and winding ADA sidewalk and will replace the social path / erosion gully that has developed there. The existing ADA sidewalk will remain, and remain popular with slower walkers, small bikers, and strollers. (And skate boarders, who call it "The Snake.") Above the new path will be an apron of small rubble to prevent future erosion from extreme rain stormwater coming off of Valentine Road. 

2: A Big Hill Slide will come down from the stairs north of the tennis court. This will be a metal tube slide made by the same manufacturer as the very popular slide at the Karnes playground. Whee! The playscape designers promise “thilling but safe.”

3: A hand-pump Goric ‘Meander’ water play feature will be installed on the north corner of the tennis courts, over a colored concrete waterplay deck. This returns a water play element to the park for the first time in decades, an identified desire in the 2011 Master Plan. From the 1920’s thru the 1950’s a wading pool existed just southwest of the cave entrance, within view of where this will be installed. That pool was filled and drained on a daily basis while this one will use much less water just to play with, on a hand-pump basis.

4: The water play feature will be accessible from the east and north via a new path between the low bluff rocks and the existing playground, connecting the water play and hill slide features. Providing access from the south will be a new path around the tennis courts. This path will go between the tennis courts and the cliffs, then curve around to meet the winding ADA sidewalk. This new sidewalk will have a new park bench placed mid way, slightly overlooking the courts.

5: A new bridge will go over the spring water draining from the cave, fixing the torn up asphalt and water-soaked ground at this location. 

Pending final budgetary issues new path lighting (or electrical conduit at least) should be installed along the ADA sidewalk. This is “finishing the job” in the style of lights installed between the tennis courts and the community center, and on the south side of Karnes and has been an ask since 2019.

These major play and functional improvements will maximize enjoyment of this part of the park.

Because of the unique natural setting (bluffs, cave, and spring) these improvements will provide a unique and inclusive play opportunity for all ages and abilities, especially younger children in Kansas City’s urban core. More fun, and more ways to enjoy Roanoke Park!

See our 2022 PIAC Request article for another summary of most of these items. The 2021 video presentation at the top of that page includes explanation of the South Meadow elements. The Roanoke Park Conservancy's 2020 PIAC request also included them but was only partially funded. Our 2021 request repeated and refined some elements, and added exciting new components. 2022 and 2023 repeated requests until full funding was achieved.

The Conservancy works toward the Master Plan with PIAC Funding.

Since it was founded the Roanoke Park Conservancy has worked with the parks department to seek PIAC funding for improvements throughout the park with great success. These requests have aligned with the 2011 Master Plan, and benefited from the strong support of nearby neighborhoods. The focus of the past few years has been improving the "south meadow," the lobe of the park southwest of the community center. These improvements have included: resurfacing the tennis courts, new sidewalks, additional lighting, and entry pillars and signage. The tennis courts were resurfaced a few years ago but are needing it again. Parks staff advises in 2026 that it is time for a complete rebuilding of the tennis courts so we will request future PIAC funding for that. Amazingly, those courts seem to date to 1908. A 1909 newspaper article said a women’s Missouri Valley tennis championship was held on them. 

2024 PIAC Submission: Nature Playground, Basketball Court, Stone Restoration

Since it was founded the Roanoke Park Conservancy has worked with the parks department to seek PIAC funding for improvements throughout the park with great success. These requests have aligned with the 2011 Master Plan, and benefited from the strong support of nearby neighborhood associations.

The focus of the past few years has been improving the "south meadow," the lobe of the park southwest of the community center. These improvements include: renewing the tennis courts, new sidewalks, additional lighting, and entry pillars and signage. The Conservancy has been working with the parks department to provide design intent drawings for the many south meadow projects which have received funding. With that in hand, they will be able to put projects out to bid with more accuracy and fidelity to the intentions of the original PIAC requests. See our 2022 PIAC article for an explanation of the South Meadow elements. 

Our 2024 PIAC request included:

Volker Spring Nature Playground. Providing natural enhancements and outdoor play experiences on the west side of the park. Currently, the area lacks activities outside of a lone swing, nature trails, and winter sledding. We proposed the addition of a boardwalk leading from Karnes to a spring overlook, then to a naturally flat area where a nature playground could be constructed. Log scrambles, boulders, net climbers, and stumps could entertain kids while surrounding hammocks and seating could accommodate caretakers and everyone else wanting to enjoy the health benefits of nature. The "naturally flat area" is above the runout of the winter sledding. This area is accessible from the Volker neighborhood via the trail entrance off Wyoming or the Park Court staircase. 

Basketball Court. The well-used court southeast of the volleyball court is in need of a refresh. We requested a slightly larger footprint for a half court and a higher strength goal for longevity's sake. The current court is apparently asphalt and cracking at the edges. Sports court surfacing matching the tennis/pickleball courts was requested. 

Stone Wall / Pillar Restoration. Stone is an integral part of Roanoke Park's charm – both its natural stone bluffs and historic masonry walls and pillars. Historic photographs of these stone walls and pillars show the appreciation of these elements decades ago. However recent decades have seen an insuffient level of maintenance and a recent instance of vehicle damage. If left to further deteriorate they will only get more costly to repair or slowly disappear over time. 

Click the images below for pdfs of the 2024 request.