Nick’s Picks | WyCo, High-Rises, Buses and More …

Kelce Retirement Announcement?

What’s your big new distraction now that the Chiefs are out of the playoffs?

It’s going to be a long winter for Chiefs fans after the team fails to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Now get ready for the questions:

Will Travis Kelce announce his retirement this week?

Will coach Andy Reid call it quits?

When will Patrick Mahomes throw another pass after a worrying late game knee injury?

Will Clark Hunt finally make a long-promised stadium announcement now that he’s got more time on his hands?

Will Kansas Citians still watch the last three games of the season now there’s so little to play for?

How low will ticket prices go for the Chiefs last home game of the season on Christmas Day? If you’ve never seen the Chiefs play, you’re likely to snag a seat at Arrowhead at a bargain basement price.

Here are some other sports stories to keep your mind off things…

• The Winter Olympics starts in 53 days
• Oklahoma and Alabama kick off the College Football Playoffs on Friday.
• Missouri State makes its first ever bowl appearance on Thursday at the inaugural Xbox Bowl against Arkansas State.
• The NCAA Women’s Volleyball Final Four starts Thursday at T-Mobile Center.

Watson Officially Takes Over as KCK Mayor

Christal Watson officially takes over the keys to the Wyandotte County mayor’s office this week.

Today is Tyrone Garner’s last day. Watson will be officially sworn in tonight as the new head of the Unified Government during an inauguration ceremony at Municipal Hall in downtown Kansas City, Kansas.

Plaza High-Rise Plan Gets Vote

The Kansas City Planning Commission is expected to vote Wednesday on plans for a string of high-rise towers on the Country Club Plaza.

The shopping district’s new owners say without the 10- to 15-story towers, including 750 apartments, the Country Club Plaza may not survive.

Critics, including the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects, say the tall buildings will ruin the storybook look and charm of the 102-year-old, Spanish-styled shopping district.

But there are just as many concerns about how it will all be paid for.

The Plaza’s ownership group is asking for a 30-year property tax break to fund the development. They’re also asking City Hall for more than $200 million in incentive help.

In Other City News …

The Kansas City Council takes up a new plan to save the bus system: On Tuesday, the Finance Committee will consider pulling millions of dollars from the city’s rainy-day fund to keep the perpetually cash-strapped bus service afloat.

5 Quick Hits for this Upcoming Week

• President Donald Trump is expected to announce a big pivot on marijuana this week, reclassifying pot as a lower-level drug. Under federal law, marijuana currently faces the same restrictions as heroin. Trump could issue an executive order as early as today.
• House GOP leaders have scheduled a vote this week on a new package of health care bills that they claim will reduce insurance premiums for “100% of Americans.”  But the package does not include an extension of Obamacare subsidies set to expire at the end of the month. This is the last chance for any action on health care this year. Congress adjourns for a two-week holiday break on Friday.
• Winter officially begins on Saturday.
• Hanukkah continues through Sunday.
• Jane Austen turns 250 years old on Tuesday, and the famed author’s most ardent fans, known as “Janietes,” have planned Austen-themed parades and festivals around the world.

Nick Haines  tracks Kansas City’s most impactful, confusing, and downright head-scratching local news stories on Week in Review, Fridays at 7:30 p.m. on Kansas City PBS.