The Berkley Riverfront

The Berkley Riverfront — officially Richard L. Berkley Riverfront Park — is a Missouri River park and mixed-use redevelopment district on the south bank of the Missouri River just north and east of Kansas City’s River Market, hosting concerts, festivals, and CPKC Stadium, and, since May 2026, serving as the northern terminus of the KC Streetcar Riverfront Extension.

Note on classification: the Berkley Riverfront is a riverfront park and 55-acre redevelopment district rather than a single building, and is filed here among neighborhood/district entries.

The riverfront is named for Richard L. Berkley, mayor of Kansas City, Missouri from 1979 to 1991.

The park

Richard L. Berkley Riverfront Park stretches along the Missouri River northeast of the River Market, providing riverfront green space, a trail connection to the wider Kansas City riverfront path network, and a large open venue used for concerts, festivals, and outdoor events. The site sits roughly where Main Street began in Kansas City, at the original river landing.¹

Redevelopment (2020s)

The Berkley Riverfront is the subject of a 55-acre redevelopment led by the Port Authority of Kansas City (Port KC) transforming former industrial riverfront land into a mixed-use district of parks, residences, and event space.¹ A new Founders Park at the riverfront adds a roughly 300-foot elevated overlook out over the water, a new playground, and an amphitheater.¹²

Ongoing and planned components of the district include residential and mixed-use development alongside the public amenities.

CPKC Stadium

The riverfront is the site of CPKC Stadium, home of the Kansas City Current of the National Women’s Soccer League — reported to be the first stadium purpose-built for a professional women’s sports team. A new CPKC Pavilion, designed by Burns & McDonnell to evoke the Missouri River, is being built as the “front door” to the Berkley Riverfront and incorporates the new streetcar station.³¹

Transit: the KC Streetcar Riverfront Extension

The KC Streetcar Riverfront Extension opened for passenger service on May 18, 2026, carrying the streetcar line from the River Market north to the Berkley Riverfront.³⁴⁵ The extension:

• Branches from the existing downtown line at 3rd Street and Grand Boulevard in the River Market, crosses the Grand Boulevard viaduct/bridge, and terminates near the midpoint of the Berkley Riverfront, with a stop adjacent to CPKC Stadium.³¹
• Added roughly 8,300 feet of new track (about 0.7 mile).³
• Was reported as a $62 million project.⁶

A companion Grand Boulevard bicycle and pedestrian bridge connecting the River Market to the Berkley Riverfront opened in the same period, part of the broader Bike KC plan.³²

Neighborhood context

• Adjacent: River Market to the south and west; columbus-park to the south; downtown beyond
• River: the Missouri River forms the district’s northern edge
• Transit: northern anchor of the KC Streetcar as of May 2026

Sources

Footnotes

1. KCTV5 — “Kansas City riverfront sees major development with streetcar extension, new park” (2026-05-01). https://www.kctv5.com/2026/05/01/kansas-city-riverfront-sees-major-development-with-streetcar-extension-new-park/ (accessed 2026-07). Confirms: 55-acre Berkley Riverfront redevelopment led by Port KC; site where Main Street began; Founders Park with ~300-foot overlook, playground, and amphitheater; streetcar stop adjacent to CPKC Stadium; CPKC Pavilion by Burns & McDonnell as the riverfront’s “front door.” ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

2. KCUR — “Kansas City’s streetcar opens Riverfront extension, completing years of work” (2026-05-18). https://www.kcur.org/housing-development-section/2026-05-18/kansas-city-streetcar-riverfront-extension-open (accessed 2026-07). Confirms: Founders Park amenities; Grand Boulevard bike/pedestrian bridge; riverfront revitalization context. ↩ ↩²

3. KC Streetcar — “Riverfront Extension.” https://kcstreetcar.org/about-streetcar/streetcar-riverfront-extension/ (accessed 2026-07). Confirms: extension opened May 18, 2026; branches at 3rd & Grand in River Market, uses the Grand Avenue viaduct, ends near the midpoint of Berkley Riverfront; ~8,300 feet of new track; CPKC Pavilion / Riverfront Streetcar Station; companion Grand Boulevard bike/pedestrian bridge. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

4. City of Kansas City, MO — “KC Streetcar Starts Rolling to the River on May 18.” https://www.kcmo.gov/Home/Components/News/News/3047/1746 (accessed 2026-07). Confirms: May 18, 2026 opening of the Riverfront Extension to the Berkley Riverfront. ↩

5. KCUR — “KC Streetcar opening Riverfront extension in May, in time for World Cup” (2026-04-21). https://www.kcur.org/housing-development-section/2026-04-21/kc-streetcar-berkley-riverfront-opening-cpkc-stadium-world-cup (accessed 2026-07). Confirms: May 2026 opening; new stop near CPKC Stadium; World Cup timing. ↩

6. Railway News — “Kansas City Streetcar Opens $62M Riverfront Extension.” https://railwaynews.net/kansas-city-streetcar-opens-62m-riverfront-extension.html (accessed 2026-07). Confirms: $62 million, 0.7-mile Riverfront Extension. ↩