CitySceneKC
Work on $57M Fashionbilt Lofts May Start Next Spring
By Kevin Collison The developer of the proposed 222-unit Fashionbilt Lofts near Quality Hill is wrapping up his application for historic tax credits and anticipates starting work on the $57 million project this spring. Gary Hassenflu of MW Development plans to renovate the historic Barton Brothers Shoe Co. Building at 423 W. Eighth St., build…
Lazia Reopens at Crossroads Hotel with New Chef and Menu
Lazia has returned to the Crossroads Hotel after a long, Covid-layoff, and the restaurant reopened last week with a new chef and menu still steeped in Italian cuisine. Chef Justin Kent, who over the past decade has worked at some of the city’s top restaurants including Classic Cup and The American, is serving what’s described…
Gondola Linking Downtowns KCK and KCMO Pitched by UG Official
By Kevin Collison The idea of using gondolas for mass transit in Kansas City is back, but this time it’s being floated by a senior government official in Wyandotte County, not perennial petitioner Clay Chastain. The concept calls for a two-mile gondola line above the West Bottoms that would link the downtowns of the two…
Peacock to Add Culinary Color to Westport Corridor
By Kevin Collison Chef Brian Mehl wants Peacock, his latest culinary creation, to resonate with the spirit of the original Plate restaurant he opened in Brookside in 2015, destroyed two years later by a fire. “I like the vibe here,” Mehl said of his new place at 301 Westport Rd. “I like little restaurants like…
Mayor ‘Bullish’ About Federal Grant for South Loop Link Proposal
By Kevin Collison A recent trip to Washington has left Mayor Quinton Lucas “bullish” that federal funding to help start building a long-sought deck and park covering the South Loop freeway may be announced before the end of the year. The mayor said Tuesday his confidence is based on conversations he had with senior officials…
Holiday Pop-Ups Returning to Downtown
The holiday spirits are returning to downtown with the opening of two, festive pop-up bars, one in the Power & Light District, the other at the Boulevard Beer Hall. Power & Light will be the new location this year for “Miracle” beginning Nov. 26 through the holiday season. The pop-up concept, which originated in New…
Streetcar Track-Laying Plan Calls for Segments Moving South on Main
By Kevin Collison After what has seemed an eternity of preliminary infrastructure work, the first rails for the streetcar Main Street extension will start being laid early next year beginning at Union Station and building south. Plans call for the track-laying work to be completed in one-half mile segments at a time, approximately three- to…
Union Station to Shine with $5M ‘Largest Single Gift’
By Kevin Collison Union Station has hit the donor jackpot with a $5 million gift from the Sunderland Foundation, a windfall that will greatly enhance the grand building restored with the help of metro voters in 1999. “It’s the largest, single gift we’ve received since reopening as a donor gift,” said George Guastello, Union Station…
Persistence Bears Fruit at 2000 Vine Redevelopment
(Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on Aug. 20.) By Kevin Collison The developers of the 2000 Vine historic redevelopment are beginning to taste the fruits of their hard work over the past three years, but are candid describing how tough it can be doing projects on the East Side. “It’s become painfully clear and…
Historic Mason Building on Grand Could Become $11M Boutique Hotel
By Kevin Collison The historic Mason Building, now an inconspicuous office building wedged along Grand Boulevard, could become a 35-room boutique hotel, bar and restaurant if plans being pursued by a St. Louis developer come to fruition. Metropolitan Build has submitted preliminary inquiries at City Hall to determine whether the old building could become the…