Troost Avenue Between Volker Boulevard and 52nd Street/Rockhurst Road

Troost Avenue from Volker Boulevard to 52nd Street/Rockhurst Road is an area that is dominated by two land uses- institutional and residential. On the west side of Troost, a portion of the UMKC campus can be found on the blocks bounded by 50th to 52nd Streets and Troost to Rockhill Road. The campus of The Stowers Institute for Medical Research can be found on the block just north of UMKC. The east side of Troost comprises of the two neighborhoods- Troostwood and Rockhurst Park as well as a small portion of the Rockhurst University campus on the corner of Troost and Rockhurst Road.

The western side of Troost has boomed over the last 70 years with expansions to both the UMKC campus and the Stowers Institute campus, which in 1950 was Menorah Hospital. The additions of Katz Hall, as well as the Spencer Chemistry and Biological Sciences, and other general buildings were added between 1965-1975 on the UMKC campus. The Menorah Hospital had several expansions after 1950 and eventually became the Stowers Institute around 2000.

Comparatively, the residential side hasn’t changed as much since 1950. The demolition of all homes facing Troost Avenue and 49th Street were the biggest changes seen on this side. In the Troostwood neighborhood, these demolished homes were replaced by seven low income housing opportunities known as the Troostwood Townhomes. In the Rockhurst Park neighborhood, the demolished homes were replaced by a Go Chicken Go restaurant, a Rockhurst University parking garage, as well as two other Rockhurst University buildings.

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