Arts & Entertainment
Clubhouse Experience to Tee Off at Wallstreet Tower Plaza in September
By Kevin Collison A new “e-tainment” concept called The Clubhouse Experience featuring Topgolf Swing Suites, shuffleboard courts and bistro dining is scheduled to open next month at the WallStreet Tower condo building. The entertainment and food and beverage concept is planned for the sunken plaza level of the WallStreet, a former 1970s office tower at…
More ‘Wonder’ on Troost, New Restaurant Opening
By Kevin Collison The Wonder Shops + Flats redevelopment at 30th and Troost is almost fully leased eight months after opening, evidence the nascent revival along that stretch of Troost Avenue is showing no sign of slowing. Combine, a joint venture between Pizza 51 and the Milwaukee Delicatessen, is opening a 5,000 square-foot restaurant and…
Kimpton Wins City Incentives, $95M Luxury Hotel Plans 2021 Opening
(Updated July 10, 2020. Plans to redevelop the Holiday Inn at 45th and Main into a luxury Kimpton Hotel have fallen through. Jim Purinton, managing director of Chicago-based Janko Group, said the national meltdown in the hospitality market caused by the Covid-19 crisis made it impossible to arrange private financing for the proposed $95 million…
Barrel of the Bottoms Rolls Out Podcasts and Laughs
By Kevin Collison Barrel of the Bottoms is a recording studio with a sense of humor on the side. Now in its second year, the venture in the historic Hobbs building offers space for creatives to write and record, while doubling as a comedy club with weekly open improv sessions for aspiring amateurs and professional…
Acme Building Revived as Home for KC Artists Coalition and Apartments
By Kevin Collison A once-battered and empty building at 3200 Gillham Road will be the new home of the Kansas City Artists Coalition, part of a $4.8 million historic renovation project that also includes 27 apartments. The former Acme Cleaning Co. building, vacant for more than seven years, was redeveloped by Exact Partners and already…
Collective EX Adds Creative Collaboration to East Crossroads
By Kevin Collison Johnny Dawbarn learned the value of creative collaboration during his time in the corporate world at Hallmark and now he’s established a more grassroots version in the East Crossroads called Collective EX. The founder of the new honeycomb of creativity at 519 E. 18th St., which includes a reboot of Thou Mayest…
Great Car Show Returns to Liberty Memorial This Sunday
This Sunday, the grounds of Liberty Memorial will be the place to kick tires downtown when the National World I Museum and Memorial co-hosts its third annual “Great Car Show” along with the Kansas City Automotive Museum. More than 400 vehicles are expected in a unique car show with no judgement. Anyone who wants to…
Isle of Capri Casino Sale Renews Hope for Streetcar Connection
(Updated July 21, 2020. Twin River Worldwide Holdings completed the acquisition of the Isle of Capri casino on July 2 and has renamed it “Casino KC.” “The company expects to substantially reposition the casino with a transformational redevelopment plan,” according to a release from the Rhode Island-based firm. “Most of the related capital expenditures are…
Charlotte Street Foundation Finds Permanent Home Near Downtown
The Charlotte Street Foundation has found a permanent home at last and plans to renovate a building at 3333 Wyoming St. into a center for its extensive arts programs thanks in part to a $10 million capital drive. The new headquarters will include a gallery space; black box theatre; studio space for more than 30…
J. Rieger Rolls Out Top-Shelf Destination Distillery in East Bottoms
By Kevin Collison Andy Rieger is betting big his classy, new distillery and entertainment destination in the historic Heim Brewery Building will be a major East Bottoms draw. Rieger, who along with partner Ryan Maybee revived his family’s 130 year-old distillery Jacob Rieger & Co. five years ago, has converted the 60,000 square-foot former brewery…