Arts & Entertainment
Grimm Tattoo Relocates to West Bottoms After Devastating Fire
By Yasmine Ferhat Flatland The West Bottoms has been booming in recent years after decades of being widely viewed by the public as a development dead zone. The American Royal Complex, Hy-Vee Arena, Stockyards Brewing Co. and Lemonad(e) Park have helped transform the area from an abandoned relic of industrialization into a thriving nightlife scene….
Art in the Loop Kicks Off 10th Year in Downtown
The 2023 Art in the Loop program will kick-off Wednesday (June 21) at 5:30 p.m. with a special reception at the Kansas City Public Library Central Branch. The event will feature all of the 2023 visual and performance artists. Guests will be entertained with dance and music and the event is free and open to…
Former Segregated School Opening Soon as Major Art Center
By Kevin Collison Kansas City’s newest cultural institution, the Zhou B. Art Center, is expected to open before the end of the year, repurposing a former segregated public school into a creative hub in the 18th and Vine District. “It’s important to Kansas City,” said Allan Gray, who is partnering with renowned Chicago artists ShanZuo…
South Loop Link Plan On Course for Lining Up $115M in Funding
(Editor’s note: the full City Council approved the $10 million in funding Thursday) By Kevin Collison The city is poised to contribute $10 million to the proposed South Loop Link project, an amount backers hope will leverage the total raised for the four-block park to more than $115 million by year’s end. A City Council…
Proposed Greenline Trail Price Tag $80M, Plan to Seek Federal Funding
(Editor’s note: This article originally was posted July 12, 2022) By Kevin Collison The proposed Greenline recreational trail loop around downtown now has an estimated $80 million price tag, according to backers who plan to eventually seek federal funding for the project. The Greenline was initially pitched almost three years ago by developer Vince Bryant,…
West Bottoms Revival Continues with Two More Historic Rehabs
By Kevin Collison The West Bottoms redevelopment surge continued last week with tax incentives approved for the renovation of two historic buildings, one a 77-unit apartment project, the other a small office plan. The MCM Company of Cleveland continued onto the next phase of its West Bottoms Flats redevelopment, winning incentive approval for its $31.8…
Rock Island Bridge Project Gets $4M Boost from Kansas
By Kevin Collison Attendees at a ceremonial kickoff for the Rock Island Bridge project heard more than routine remarks from Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly this week, she also announced a $4 million state grant. “I have been following this project for a long time and was very excited when Lt. Gov. (David) Toland brought it…
UMKC Seeks 5,000-Seat Arena, Retail By Streetcar Stop
By Kevin Collison UMKC is pitching a development proposal that would anchor the south end of the new streetcar extension with a 4,000- 5,000 seat arena for sports and cultural events, according to a request for proposals issued Monday. UMKC is asking developers to submit proposals for a project that, while the university would not…
Negro Leagues Museum Swings for $25M Fundraising Fence
By Kevin Collison The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum has launched an ambitious fundraising effort to develop a campus at 18th and The Paseo that would combine a new 30,000 square-foot building with the historic Paseo YMCA. With a lead-off contribution of $1 million from Bank of America, the institution dedicated to the history of one…
North Kansas City Plays Potential Backstop for Royals
By Kevin Collison North Kansas City has emerged as the backup for a proposed Royals ballpark should a deal strike out at the East Village downtown site, according to sources familiar with both locations. While North Kansas City was considered an outlier when it was listed among 14 potential ballpark locations in and around downtown…