Unified Government and partners unveiled the first three homes on Friday, March 20, and pointed to a larger 27-home vision for the neighborhood.
Kansas City, Kansas, leaders on March 20 unveiled three new CrossMod homes near Klamm Park. This marks the first visible step in a larger effort to turn long-vacant land bank lots into new housing.
The ribbon-cutting, held at 2726 N. 21st Place, brought together officials from the Unified Government (UG), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, developer Fran Sutton Homes and builder Clayton Homes. The event included tours of the newly completed homes. There was also a separate dedication for a new Little Free Library. This library is intended to serve the surrounding neighborhood.
The project is part of a broader UG push. It aims to bring new housing to vacant properties. These properties have sat idle for years. According to the UG, Wyandotte County has more than 4,000 vacant lots. These lots generate no property tax revenue until they are redeveloped. Officials said projects like the one in Klamm Park are intended to repurpose some of that land. They aim to make it productive again. These projects also create new homeownership opportunities in Kansas City, Kansas.
What made Friday’s event stand out was not just the ribbon-cutting, but the kind of homes being introduced.
The Klamm Park development is planned to include 25 CrossMod homes. These homes will be built on permanent basements. Officials described this as one of the first local examples of this housing type being delivered in that format. CrossMod homes are factory-built homes. They are constructed to the federal HUD code. They are designed to look and function more like traditional site-built houses. Supporters say that the approach can lower construction costs. It can still produce homes that appraise, finance, and appreciate in ways more similar to conventional housing.
“The location of the homes was not an accident,” said Assistant County Administrator Alan Howze. “It followed an intentional strategy of public investment leading private investment. In working with Unified Government Parks and Recreation leadership, we have made significant improvements near Klamm Park, which is truly a short walk from where these new homes are being built. As we continue to work collaboratively to create positive, impactful development, the Quindaro corridor has many Landbank lots and a mix of parks and schools that would complement residential development. We are excited to see the transformation of this neighborhood now and are looking to create more economic development impact for future generations.”
That broader strategy is part of the story here. The homes are not just new units. They are also a test. The goal is to determine whether a less traditional construction model can help. This model aims to bridge the gap between rising home prices and what local families can afford.
The first three homes cost about $800,000 to develop, according to the UG. The full 27-home project is expected to total more than $6.8 million. Officials said homes in the development are expected to start around $185,000, below the city’s roughly $285,000 median home price. The first three homes were listed at $225,000. This price was for a three-bedroom, two-bath home with a full basement and no garage. Homes with a one-car garage were listed at $250,000.
The UG also pointed to national data to support the model. A 2024 Federal Housing Finance Agency study found that modern manufactured homes are classified as real property. These include CrossMod homes. They have shown steady value growth. Since 2020, they have appreciated at a rate comparable to site-built homes.
Friday’s event also included the dedication of a Little Free Library through the UG Department of Community Development. According to the UG, the program aims to bring free books into low-to-moderate income neighborhoods. It also supports both reading access and reading comprehension for adults and children. Officials said residents can have a Little Free Library placed in their community. They can contact the department at (913) 573-5100.
The bigger question now is whether Klamm Park becomes a one-off success. Or will it be the start of a wider neighborhood redevelopment model? For the UG and its partners, Friday’s unveiling showed that long-vacant land can be transformed. They used factory-built housing and public investment to demonstrate this change. They hope this will attract buyers and reshape blocks that have been waiting for reinvestment.
