Raymore Civic Center
Project Overview
The Raymore Civic Center reimagines a municipal campus as a place where engineering innovation, ecological restoration and civic life converge. Through seven disciplined budget cycles, the City transformed underutilized detention areas and municipal grounds into a vibrant, walkable destination that reflects the values of sustainability, education and public engagement. The campus now integrates City Hall, the Centerview Parks and Recreation headquarters and surrounding amenities within a landscape designed for people and nature alike.
Community-Driven Planning
Resident input played a defining role in shaping the Civic Center vision. Citizen surveys highlighted three priorities: enhanced stormwater management, expanded walking and biking trails and more spaces for community events. These findings, incorporated into the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Parks and Recreation Master Plan, provided a clear direction for the project, to balance infrastructure needs with opportunities for recreation, education and civic pride.
Goals and Key Components
City Hall Subsurface Detention & PlazaA former stormwater basin was converted into an underground chamber system capable of capturing and filtering approximately 34,500 cubic feet of runoff. The system reduces peak flows and removes suspended solids, oils and nutrients before releasing water downstream. Above, the reclaimed space features a plaza, lawn, accessible pathways and landscaping, creating a flexible venue for civic gatherings and seasonal events.
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Raingarden ConversionsTwo additional detention basins were redesigned as raingardens, offering ecological enhancements while improving water quality and reducing siltation to Silver Lake. These gardens support pollinator habitats, integrate native plant communities, and provide educational opportunities through interpretive signage. |
Centerview Boardwalk & Trail ConnectivityA 10-foot-wide elevated boardwalk links Centerview with surrounding neighborhoods and trails, immersing visitors in the native landscape and providing direct views of the raingardens. |
Educational SignageThree interpretive signs explain how green infrastructure improves stormwater quality, highlight native plantings and their ecological benefits and celebrate pollinators like monarch butterflies. |
Engineering and Ecological Integration
The site lies within the Silver Lake watershed, where sedimentation and runoff from upstream development have degraded water quality. The Civic Center’s stormwater improvements address these challenges through infiltration-based detention, controlled release and nature-based treatment methods.
Planting design emphasizes biodiversity and low-maintenance sustainability, incorporating species such as black-eyed Susans, prairie blazing star, marsh milkweed and native grasses. Seasonal color, texture and habitat value ensure that the landscape remains vibrant year-round while supporting pollinators and wildlife.
Placemaking and Community Value
The Civic Center has become a community destination. The plaza accommodates farmers’ markets, weddings and seasonal events, while the boardwalk and raingardens invite exploration and nature-based learning. Thoughtful design fosters daily connections and reflects the City’s commitment to building spaces with lasting impact.
Why It Matters
This multi-phase project demonstrates how a municipal investment can achieve far more than functional upgrades. By blending engineering performance, ecological enhancement, and community programming, the Raymore Civic Center sets a new benchmark for how small towns can deliver projects that are sustainable, educational and deeply connected to the people they serve.
GBA Involvement
GBA served as the lead designer and project manager for the rain garden conversion and educational signage. GBA provided construction administration services for both of these project components, working closely with City staff, MegaKC Construction and Countryside Landscape Brook Landscapes. GBA also provided initial planning with the Public Works Department for the underground detention chamber systems.