CitySceneKC
Pedestrian Plaza Plan to Enliven 18th and Vine District
By Kevin Collison The 18th and Vine District is looking forward to transforming its main drag into a more pedestrian-friendly corridor that can be closed temporarily for events thanks to $4 million in the new federal budget. The money obtained by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and matched by at least $2.5 million and up to $4…
Opinion: Twenty Years Later, Our Downtown Heart is Healthier to Live and Play, More Work Needed
(Editor’s note: This column was published Oct. 31, but the review of the “Mending Our Broken Heart’ series also is a good way to anticipate the New Year in greater downtown Kansas City.) By Kevin Collison Twenty years after The Star published its groundbreaking “Mending Our Broken Heart” series, downtown is back in the game,…
Savoy Tea Brings ‘Tea Culture’ to Crossroads
By Kevin Collison The Arkansas owners of the new Savoy Tea Co. shop in the Crossroads are looking forward to brewing more interest in a beverage they believe remains relatively unappreciated and unfamiliar to many people. “We had traveled and had tea at different places and realized there was no place at home in Fayetteville…
Steamboat Arabia Museum Scuttles St. Charles Deal, Still Seeks New Port
By Kevin Collison A plan to ship the Steamboat Arabia Museum downriver to St. Charles has run aground, scuttled by a change in course by officials there, according to David Hawley, the owner of the popular City Market attraction. Hawley had signed a letter of intent with St. Charles officials in May. It gave the…
The Parisian Café Life Comes to Westport and Main
(Editor’s note: This article originally was published on June 13, 2022) By Kevin Collison A Parisian-style cocktail and dessert café has arrived at the corner of Westport and Main, the latest creation by Heather White of Tailleur. Like Tailleur, which was inspired by a visit to a famed New York brasserie, White’s latest concept, Cheval,…
Team Behind Rehabs of Old Westport Schools Propose Apartment Project
By Kevin Collison The development team behind the renovations of the historic Westport Middle and High Schools is proposing a 100-unit apartment project on the grounds of the former middle school. Sustainable Development Partners (SDP) has filed plan with the city for what’s called “Village at Westport Commons.” It calls for building, two, parallel three-story…
Columbus Park Ponders Future for Empty Six-Acres
By Kevin Collison Columbus Park, a downtown neighborhood that’s experienced its share of urban challenges, has a six-acre opportunity for redevelopment, but right now, nobody is quite sure what to do with it. “The fact is, we don’t know what we want because we don’t know what we’re able to do,” said Kate Barsotti, president…
South Plaza Condo Project Proposed Near Future UMKC Streetcar Stop
By Kevin Collison A 23-unit residential condominium project is being proposed for the South Plaza area near 50th and Walnut, about two blocks from the planned terminus of the Main Street streetcar extension at UMKC. Developer Doug Price wants to build the three-story “49 Walnut” project on a narrow lot that stretches between Walnut and…
East Crossroads Welcomes Another ‘Artisanal Beverage,’ Hard Cider
By Kevin Collison Russ John of Brick River Cider Co. has a modest goal for his new place in the East Crossroads. “My mission is to support the fruit industry in the Midwest,” he said. And considering it takes about five apples to make a pint of hard cider, he’s going to need a lot…
City Agrees on Framework of $400M West Bottoms Redevelopment Plan
By Kevin Collison Plans for an estimated $400 million, phased redevelopment plan in the West Bottoms that would ultimately add 1,250 apartments has taken another step forward with the approval of a predevelopment agreement by the City Council. The agreement calls for a partnership where the city rebuilds the crumbling streets, sidewalks, sewers and other…