THEN AND NOW - URBAN RENEWAL AND THE DESTRUCTION OF OLATHE

THEN AND NOW - URBAN RENEWAL | OLATHE - THE CITY BEAUTIFUL
Olathe opened an Urban Renewal office in the 1960’s that was tasked to use federal funds to modernize and improve the downtown. When Urban Renewal was over, Olathe would never be the same.

[@VFisEPIC]

Damn this is depressing. Great work!

[@nancylewishavensheart]

I lived in Olathe and Gardner and Lansing & Leavenworth late 70's early 80's

[@tallgrasscyclist]

Great overview, I never had an understanding of the history of downtown Olathe. It's frustrating to see those older brick structures, with so much character, torn down in place of the sole-less buildings that were built in the 70's-80's.

[@angryKitt3ns]

I think the absence of work like yours is what destroyed Olathe. Too many cities in the KC metro area have no identity outside their proximity to KCMO. We aren't a "suburb of KCMO" we have or maybe used to have our own identity. additionally look at the big urban renewal projects, how many of them still exist? The one shown as a safeway eventually became a sears that went defunct in the late 90's or early 2000s and was vacant until they tore it down a few years ago.

[@jholcomb7687]

They paved paradise, put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin' hot spot
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot