CitySceneKC
The Poop on Downtown Dog Owners
By Kim Mueller Combining dog poop and beer seemed like a great idea to Jena Newman who convinced a dozen volunteers to spend their Sunday morning picking up pet waste during downtown’s first “Poo to Brew” event earlier this month. “I’m not scared of any poop,” said Newman, a former Kansas City zookeeper, as she…
Charlotte Street Launches New Performance Space on Broadway
By Kevin Collison The Charlotte Street Foundation, a cutting-edge downtown cultural fixture for years, has found a permanent space for performance works on Broadway–at least as long as its spared from redevelopment. The venue, called Capsule, opened in early August in space at 1664 Broadway and will close out its first season Aug. 30 with…
Crossroads Prep Opens Downtown in Historic Thayer Building
By Kevin Collison Six years after launching Crossroads Academy in downtown with 190 elementary students, Dean Johnson and his colleagues welcomed another 190 students, this time at a new high school in the historic Thayer building. Johnson, executive director, said the charter school has grown to 800 students since opening in a former office building…
New Study: Downtown Prime Beneficiary of City Incentive Programs
By Kevin Collison A long-awaited report on how economic development tax incentives are used in Kansas City found the greater downtown area was the primary beneficiary during the 10 years covered by the study. The study presented last week to the Kansas City Council found the city was getting a good return on its investment…
Downtown Retail Survivor Bob Jones Shoes ‘Retiring’ After Almost 60 Years
By Kevin Collison The irony of Bob Jones Shoes making it through the tough times only to close now that downtown Kansas City is back on its feet isn’t lost on Rocky Horowitz. “We seen downtown go from bad to good to really good,” he said. “Once the Sprint Center opened and things got all…
Streetcar Authority Picks Outer Lanes of Main Street for Planned Extension
By Kevin Collison The Streetcar Authority plans to run the proposed extension from downtown to UMKC on the outside lanes of Main Street, saying it would provide a more pedestrian-friendly access and greater economic development opportunities. The decision to go outside rather than the alternative of an alignment down the middle of Main Street was…
Our Daily Nada Opening in River Market, Joins Growing Cafe Scene
By Kevin Collison Our Daily Nada, the anticipated new River Market bookstore and cafe, expects to open this week, featuring the welcoming escape envisioned in its namesake short story by Ernest Hemingway. “We want it to be a comfortable place for people to relax and enjoy a drink,” said co-owner Andrea Baca. “There will be…
Flashcube Building Apartment Project Expects to Start Early 2019
By Kevin Collison The planned redevelopment of the historic “Flashcube” building into apartments has hit a “profound” budget jump due to price increases for construction materials and labor, raising the cost by 38 percent to $69 million. In response, a request by the developer, Worcester Investments, to have its “prevailing wage” labor goal set at…
Visit KC Chooses New Leader at Pivotal Time for Downtown Convention Industry
With Kansas City’s convention infrastructure poised to be its most competitive since the 1976 Republican National Convention, Visit KC has picked a top hospitality executive from Pittsburgh to help the city cash in on its investment. Jason Fulvi is the new president and CEO of Visit KC, the metro’s primary convention and tourism marketing organization,…
Crossroads Hotel Opening in October, 131-Room Historic Renovation Project
The Crossroads Hotel is opening this October at 21st and Central streets, reviving the historic Pabst Brewing and Pendergast buildings as a 131-room boutique hotel and rooftop bar. In a press release, Chicago-based Aparium Hotel Group said the hotel, which will feature three restaurants and bars including the rooftop, is accepting reservations for stays beginning…