Looking Back: “Little Grain Valley finds itself in the midst of big building boom”

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society


“Housing permits up 127 percent through November.” And no, it’s not a mistake or a typo. It is a quote from the Kansas City Star on January 2, 2003. I recently stumbled across this article written over twenty years ago. Grain Valley ranked 10th in the metro among cities that had issued the most single-family housing permits through November of 2002.

At the time Grain Valley,  a town of about 5,000, was in the midst of a housing boom. The article further stated, “Grain Valley issued 257 single family permits through November according to the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City, a 127 percent increase from the same period in 2001. It was the largest percentage increase among area cities that had issued more than 100 permits in 2002.”

Summarizing the article, Grain Valley was apparently growing for four reasons.

• Grain Valley was satisfied with building smaller homes than nearby Blue Springs and Lee’s Summit.
• Grain Valley had plenty of land available for annexation and development.
• Grain Valley had recently upgraded water and sewer systems .
• And finally, the article touted the small-town appeal, a new city hall, swimming pool and community center and a great school system.

 
I’m always saying History is yesterday. Twenty years ago is definitely HISTORY! So, fast forward to 2023 and Grain Valley is still growing, at an even more rapid pace.

The front-page photo of The Examiner on Friday, September 1, 2023 features The Lofts at Old Towne and the headline reads “Housing Growth Continues in Grain Valley.” Ward Development is responsible for The Lofts and numerous other projects in Grain Valley over the past thirty plus years. They were named the No. I home builder in the Kansas City metro area by the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City in 2022, a title they will likely repeat in 2023.
 
So while yesterday is history, some history bears repeating! Grain Valley is definitely growing at a rapid pace. And that brings me to my final point. PLEASE share your photographs and artifacts with the Grain Valley Historical Society.
 
The Historical Society is opened on Wednesdays from 10 AM – 3 . Let us display your memories. It’s our legacy for the future!