CitySceneKC
Work Expected to Resume This Spring on Hilton Boutique Hotel Project
By Kevin Collison Work on renovating the historic Palace Clothing Co. building at 12th and Grand into a boutique hotel is expected resume this spring following a lengthy delay caused by the Covid pandemic. Mark Patel, the developer of the planned 110-room Canopy by Hilton, is accepting bids and finalizing a general contractor for the…
More Apartments Coming to West Bottoms
By Kevin Collison Construction on the $29 million second phase of the West Bottoms Flats development is expected to begin this spring and its Cleveland developer already is contemplating a third installment. MCM Company intends to complete the renovation of the Abernathy Furniture Co. building, at 1525 W. Ninth St. adding about 100 apartments to…
World Class Bikes Expanding in West Bottoms
By Kevin Collison Jay Luschen, the owner of World Class Bikes in the West Bottoms, has a global approach to how he rolls whether you’re a hardcore mountain biker, recreational rider or just down on your luck and desperately need a bicycle to get around. “I want to service the whole community,” he said. “I’ll…
‘Dine Your Way’ KC Restaurant Week Starts Friday
For the second consecutive year, Kansas City Restaurant Week is opening this Friday in the shadow of the Covid pandemic and supporters say it’s just as vital now for people to support the local dining scene. “We’re encouraging people to ‘dine your way,’” said Jenny Wilson, director of partnerships and events for Visit KC. “If…
Proposed City Market Apartment Tower Hailed as Future Development Model
By Kevin Collison A 13-story, 300-unit apartment development planned for just west of the City Market was endorsed by a Port KC committee Monday after being hailed by the city manager as a model for future downtown development. The $75 million project proposed for what’s now a city-owned parking lot would occupy a one-acre…
Upscale Diner and a Wine Bar Opening in Crossroads Late Spring
Two new culinary concepts by Howard Hanna, the former co-owner and chef at The Rieger, are scheduled to open late this spring in the Crossroads as part of the City Club apartment development. Small Axe, an upscale diner-style restaurant, is planned for the corner of 20th and Main. it will feature breakfast, lunch and dinner,…
Streetcar to Stretch Farther Toward New Riverfront Soccer Stadium
By Kevin Collison The planned riverfront streetcar extension will be almost three soccer fields longer than originally planned to bring riders closer to the new KC Current stadium to be built east of Berkley Park. Streetcar chief Tom Gerend said a revised plan for the half-mile streetcar extension now brings the line to the middle…
Plan for Keystone Innovation Campus on East 18th Street Collapses
By Kevin Collison An ambitious proposal for a Keystone Innovation District campus on East 18th Street has experienced a major setback with a planned new office building and renovated warehouse no longer in the works. Keystone Community Corp., a strategic economic development initiative backed by the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, had been working…
Cathedral Pursuing $14M Campaign for New Parish Center, Homeless Facility
By Kevin Collison The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, a landmark church that pre-dates downtown, has launched a $14 million campaign to build a new parish hall and renovate space for its breakfast program for the homeless. The brick Cathedral at 11th and Broadway with its striking gold dome steeple traces its roots to a…
Commentary: Looking Ahead to 2022
COMMENTARY By Kevin Collison A Tweet from Mayor Lucas over the New Year weekend inviting thoughts and questions about 2022 pushed my ambivalence off the fence about writing a beginning of the year opinion column. We hear plenty this time of year from pundits musing about the nation and the world, but since hyper-local greater…