CitySceneKC
Big Development Site Along Planned Streetcar Extension Hits Market
By Kevin Collison A 5.4-acre site that includes the former Conklin Fangman car dealership has hit the market, a huge development opportunity along the planned Main Street extension of the streetcar from downtown to UMKC. “It’s an incredibly valuable piece of property,” said Kevin Klinkenberg, executive director of Midtown KC Now. “For the right developer,…
Basketball Coaches Association May Leave, Helps Bring Tourneys Worth Millions
By Kevin Collison City and civic leaders are mounting a full-court press to keep the National Association of Basketball Coaches in Kansas City, a small organization with an outsized role bringing major tournaments worth millions of dollars to downtown. The NABC, which was founded in Kansas City, has been approached by Indianapolis, Dallas and other…
Ped/Bike Bridge Linking Downtown to Riverfront to Begin Work This Year
(Updated April 14: The planned pedestrian/bicycle bridge between the River Market and Berkley Riverfront Park hit a snag today following a decision by a joint City Council committee to recommend removing its full funding from this year’s capital improvement budget. The city had been expected to approve $5.25 million to build the project. About $750,000…
KC Artifact Offers Industrial-Strength Decor
By Kevin Collison Developer Vince Bryant is mining his redevelopment properties including the old Kansas City Star building for salvageable gold and has opened a weekly venue where people can shop for those industrial treasures. The space debuted in mid-December and is called KC Artifact. It’s only open Saturdays and is located on the ground…
New Track for Proposed Freight House Apartment Project
By Kevin Collison The Tracks 215 apartment proposal for the Freight House District, first unveiled in early 2019, has picked up a new developer with a track record of bringing residential projects to fruition. Milhaus, the Indianapolis firm behind the recently-opened Artistry KC apartment project, has joined the project planned for a parking lot next…
KC Carryout Challenge Serves Help to Restaurants During Pandemic
Hungry to help the more than 300 restaurants, bars, coffee shops and other purveyors of food and drink in greater downtown? The Downtown Council has launched a three-month campaign beginning today called the KC Carryout Challenge that’s hoping to spur more business for the Covid-threatened industry. “After the holidays, it’s always a tough time for…
KC Wellness Club Brings New Age Healing to Downtown
By Kevin Collison Heath Wessling didn’t exactly take the path you’d predict for someone who considers his Kansas City Wellness Club the center for New Age healing in downtown. A native of rural Iowa, Wessling was all business when Cerner, the giant healthcare tech firm, hired him in 2001 to work in management information systems…
Riding the Rails Into 2021
By Kevin Collison What a difference a year makes. One year ago, anticipation was high that greater downtown was poised for a major influx of office development including the Strata and Platform Venture projects, and the new Waddell & Reed headquarters. The Loews Convention Hotel was only a few months from opening, new restaurants and…
Streetcar Land Rush Rolling, Apartment Plan Would Keep Iconic Katz Drug
By Kevin Collison The iconic Katz Drug Store at Westport Road and Main would be saved as the centerpiece of a 192-unit apartment project proposed by a St. Louis firm, the latest streetcar-related development announcement on Main. Lux Living wants to build the six-story apartment project on the surface parking lot behind the historic building…
Mac Going Big at Future Streetcar Stop, Mixed-Use Project in Works
By Kevin Collison Mac Properties has acquired most of the high-profile block southwest of Main and Armour where the US Bank building is located and is planning a substantial mixed-use project including apartments and retail. The site, which is at the planned Armour streetcar stop, was purchased by the Chicago-based developer this month and while…