Community Builders of Kansas City is in its final phase of development to install public access 1-2 gig Wi-Fi on its Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard headquarters campus. The $125,000 project is an advocacy investment by the minority-led nonprofit organization to help address the urban core’s digital divide. It is expected to be live in the first quarter of 2022.
Kim Cronan, senior property manager with Colliers who is coordinating the project for CBKC, said the Wi-Fi service will be open network with signal strength from the west end of the 4001 CBKC headquarters building (and The Rochester once completed) to the retail center on the east. Community members in their cars, campus common areas or outside office, retail and grocery areas will be able to access the digital service. Unite Private Networks is the service provider.
“The digital divide is another serious disadvantage members of our community face daily,” said Emmet Pierson, Jr., CBKC president and CEO. “For many, they have nowhere to go for free Wi-Fi. CBKC is investing in this Wi-Fi installation to provide an immediate, practical response to this critical access issue.”
Cronan added that the project includes installation of some exterior seating areas for use by campus employees, customers or guests.
According to Digital Inclusion KC:
- Many employers require online job applications.
- Social Security information is moving to online-only access.
- Accessing the Health Insurance Marketplace requires a device and an Internet connection.
- Schools increasingly rely on electronic tools to educate our children.
- The Internet keeps people connected to their friends and family.
Source: Digital Inclusion KC, https://digitalinclusionkc.org/the-problem