CitySceneKC
Forget the Alamo, Remember the B&B?
(Editor’s note, April 23: Cordish and B&B Theatres confirmed a lease has been signed for the historic Mainstreet Theater. “B&B, a family-owned and -operated company out of Liberty, Missouri, plans to open the movie theatre after making some enhancements to the historic space later this year,” according to the press release. “B&B has exciting plans…
Waddell’s New Owner Makes it Official, No Downtown HQ
By Kevin Collison Waddell & Reed and 900 employees won’t be occupying the office tower designed for the firm at 14th and Baltimore after all, dashing downtown’s hopes for a corporate headquarters but opening the door to a long-sought speculative office project. The company’s new owner, Australia-based global financial firm Macquarie, made it official Tuesday…
Hi Tides Roll in at East Crossroads
By Kevin Collison Hi Tides arrived in time to deliver some tropical relief to the East Crossroads during the bitter cold snap a couple weeks ago, serving treats including Black Lava Seat Salt Mocca and Strawberry Hibiscus donuts to warm its guests. The new combination café of coffee drinks, donuts, bagels and ice cream opened…
Finalists Named in Prestigious ULI East Village Design Competition, Ballpark in Mix
By Kevin Collison Four teams of graduate students from top universities throughout North America are finalists for a prestigious design competition that tasked contestants with proposing concepts to redevelop the East Village area of downtown. Two of the submissions include locating a ballpark on the redevelopment site that’s been frequently mentioned as a top candidate…
MoDOT O’Neil Bridge Design Slammed as ‘Hunk of Concrete’
By Kevin Collison When it comes to the new design for replacing the downtown Buck O’Neil Bridge, mighty MoDOT has struck out, at least on social media. While the alignment and basic description of the $220 million replacement project was publicized a year ago, it took MoDOT’s release of architectural renderings and a virtual flyover this…
Crossroads Market Opens at 18th and Holmes
By Kevin Collison A new food market has opened quietly in the East Crossroads at 18th and Holmes, attracted by the steady traffic, new residents moving into the area and the proximity to Hospital Hill. The Crossroads Market models its 2,000-item product mix after chains like Whole Foods and Sprouts, and includes fresh produce, meats,…
New City Manager Talks About Police, Streetcar Development and Ballpark
Brian Platt, the new city manager, took questions from Midtown KC Now members last week via Zoom. The organization, formerly MainCor, runs a community improvement district along Main and Broadway, and promotes the overall interests of the area. Some context, Platt, 35, came here in early December after serving as city manager of Jersey City,…
Children’s Opens Research Tower, Continuing Hospital Hill Economic Boom
By Kevin Collison Today’s opening of the nine-story building housing the Children’s Mercy Research Institute is the latest in a series of recent major investments galvanizing both the Hospital Hill district and nearby environs, particularly Troost Avenue. The tower will provide space for cutting edge research in diagnosing and treating complex childhood diseases, and joins…
Bartle Hall Warming Shelter Seeks Volunteers, Donations
The city’s temporary overnight homeless shelter at Bartle Hall, which has hosted up to 400 people escaping the subzero cold this week, has established a web page to make it easier for those wanting to volunteer and/or make a donation. The Scott Eicke Warming Center, named after a homeless man who died from exposure at…
New Healthy Eatery Takes ‘Bite’ of East Crossroads
By Kevin Collison For Kathy Hale, bringing her concept that specializes in selling prepared, healthy meals that people can then heat at home to the East Crossroads is an idea five years overdue. She had started her first bricks-and-mortar canihaveabite in Waldo in 2014 and needed a new home for her growing business. “I started…