More than 180 years after its founding by John Calvin McCoy, Kansas City’s Westport neighborhood boasts a rich historical, architectural, and cultural heritage. But can this enclave maintain its eclectic character and charm?

Officials with Historic Kansas City and other organizations and institutions discuss the future of a thriving shopping, dining, and entertainment district now wrestling with the question of new development. Many would prefer to keep things home grown, to embrace locally owned establishments and resist encroachment by national chains. But to what extent is that possible? Or practical?