Mission mayor brings change by listening to residents

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One key accomplishment is the proposed redevelopment of theformed mall. Plans for the Gateway developmenttthere weren’t on her mind when McConwell first ran for City But with a 70,000-square-foot aquarium, an eight-screejn movie theater and other amenities, the projecy will help accomplish the revitalizatiojn she sought. “At the I recognized that I showedf a part of Missionthat wasn’tt being met — young families,” McConwelkl said. “A lot of the councilk members had grandkids orhigh schoolers; I was concernedr for the kids of Mission.” After being named as mayor in 2002, McConwell and the city began a new visiom plan for Mission.
“I told the communityt that I would be like a freight train and announce d where we neededto go,” McConwell “If we needed to switch tracks, we but we needed honest decisions and Blake Schreck, president of the , called McConwell a “one-woma n campaign for her community.” McConwell balance her community service as mayor with a full-timwe career in law and her family, which now include two teenagers. “I was fortunate to find a good city administrator and staff that workeswell together,” McConwell said. “I can count on them to be it would be difficult to do both ifI didn’tt have that.
” As mayor, McConwell has worke to raise the visibilityt and profile of the city. Ed president and CEO of , worked with McConwelkl on four pieces of legislation while workingv as a state legislator from Northeast Johnson The most notable of thosse enableda $20 million flood plain remediation project running through Mission’s commercial district. Three other pieces of legislatio nconcerned redevelopment. McConwell was also a big playefr in the push to get state approvapof $63.2 million in sales tax revenue (STAR) bondsd for the Gateway project, makinf it the second project in the Kansae City region to receive the financing.
in Wyandotte County was the The amount of change going on in Missiob canbe scary, McConwell said. When residents are concerner orhave questions, she and the counci l have breakfast and lunch forumsd to address questions and go over plans. McConwello and the council have formed committees for community members to discus their visions forthe city. “I couldn’t dream this up on my McConwell said. “We get everyone’sx brains together.” O’Malley said Mission has a strontg senseof community. “Laura has been a big part of advocating and supportinvthose things,” O’Malley said.
McConwell said she is committefd to the community and itsfuturew vision. “The reward is everyone feels they have a hand in McConwell said.