CitySceneKC
Downtown YMCA Project Wins Key State Funding Needed to Complete Fundraising
By Kevin Collison After a 36 year absence, a full-service YMCA is returning to downtown Kansas City following approval Tuesday of state tax credits needed to help finance building its new home in the historic Lyric Theater. The Missouri Development Finance Board approved up to $4 million in state tax credits, a move that’s expected…
City Steps Up Efforts to Land Trans-Atlantic Air Service at KCI, Invites Johnson County to the Design Party
(Updated to include time and location of Johnson County community design meeting. It will be Dec. 12 from 6- to 7:30 p.m. at the KU Edwards Campus, 12600 S. Quivera Rd. in Overland Park) By Kevin Collison KCI is broadening its horizons, stepping up efforts to attract international air service and hosting a community design…
Kansas City Architects Toast New Boulevard Brewery Visitor Center at Award Ceremony
By Kevin Collison Nothing like a great place to sample beer and buy Boulevard swag to win a popularity contest with local architects. The new Boulevard Beer Hall, formally known as the Boulevard Tours & Recreation Center, received the Professional’s Choice honor at the recent 2017 Design Excellence Awards Program held by the Kansas City…
If Historic Tax Credits Go Away, Local and National Redevelopment Will Come to a Crumbling Halt
GUEST COMMENTARY By Elizabeth Rosin Have you noticed how Kansas City has changed over the past decade, how vibrant our urban core has become? It was a gradual process that happened one property at a time. Most of these buildings were transformed using the historic tax credit (HTC), a tool that helps developers leverage private…
Historic Brookfield Building Reopening Soon as Hotel Indigo and Fairfax Lofts
By Kevin Collison Back in its previous heyday, the historic Fairfax building at 11th and Baltimore, later known as the Brookfield, was the place to buy a train or airplane ticket in Kansas City. When it opened in 1930, the 12-story Art Deco tower was named after the then-new Fairfax airport in Kansas City, Kan….
Holiday Magic Begins at Union Station Saturday
Union Station begins the holiday season this Saturday with a day full of free activities for the family capped by the colorful illumination of the historic building and a magical stage and aerial performance by Quixotic. And if that’s not enough, for only $3 per person you can enjoy the Griswold family’s holiday misadventures on…
Mayor James Slams GOP Tax Proposals as ‘Crippling’ to City Redevelopment Including Downtown
Mayor James came out swinging today against Republican tax reform proposals being considered in Washington, saying they would “cripple” vital city redevelopment and infrastructure efforts including the planned new terminal at KCI. “We need an agenda to revitalize and restore the infrastructure of our cities, not cripple future investment in our urban centers,” James said…
Broadway Bistro Adds Jazzy New Vibe to Quality Hill Corner
By Kevin Collison A new bistro and speakeasy bar with plenty of live music on the side have opened in a historic Garment District building at 10th and Broadway in the Quality Hill neighborhood. Broadway Bistro, which offers a full-service breakfast, lunch and dinner menu all week including a Sunday brunch buffet, debuted a week…
Transit Agency Offers Online Ride-Hailing Service Downtown, Plans Metro Expansion in New Year
By Kevin Collison An online, Uber-style ride-hailing service originally established for disabled passengers by the KCATA is being quietly offered in the downtown area to the general public on a pilot basis and is expected to be expanded metro-wide early next year. The program, RideKC Freedom On-Demand, allows users to download an app or call…
Downtown Dazzle Lights Up Washington Square Park This Holiday Season and Expands Schedule
By Kevin Collison The fourth annual Downtown Dazzle, downtown Kansas City’s holiday showcase, is decorating Washington Square Park this year with a new light show intended to create a festive, walkable district that includes Crown Center and Union Station. It’s all part of a new strategy for the annual celebration that seeks to better connect…