CitySceneKC
Waddell & Reed Reveals Headquarters Design, Signs Lease
By Kevin Collison Waddell & Reed has signed a lease for its new, 1,000-employee downtown headquarters and released a design that depicts an 18-story glass tower resembling a cubist stack of multiple, angled boxes. The building, designed by Burns & McDonnell, is planned for the southwest corner of 14th and Baltimore and across the South…
MAC Plan to Revive Troost and Armour with 340-Unit Apartment Project Wins Support
(Updated Feb. 7, the City Council unanimously approved the Armour Corners project Thursday, the last step necessary before a construction start expected this June) By Kevin Collison MAC Properties big plan to revitalize the intersection of Troost and Armour with a 340-unit apartment development picked up strong backing from the City Plan Commission this week…
Downtown Luncheon Features Timely Speaker, Renowned NY Critic with New Ballpark Book
This year’s Downtown Council Annual Luncheon features a timely keynote speaker, Paul Goldberger, a renowned New York architectural critic with a fresh book titled “BALLPARK: Baseball in the American City.” With the new owner of the Royals, John Sherman, open to the idea of bringing the team downtown, Goldberger’s book examines how ballparks have evolved to…
After a Four-Year Tease, Pickleman’s Finally Opens Downtown Location
By Kevin Collison In what feels like a rollout longer than any party sub ever concocted, Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe finally has opened at the southwest corner of 12th and Walnut. The signs heralding the restaurants pending arrival first went up when the space was leased in 2016 and work began in earnest in 2017, but…
Dangerous Demo Site in Heart of Downtown Raises Concerns About City Indifference
By Kevin Collison A dangerous, unfenced demolition site in the heart of downtown across from Municipal Auditorium is again raising questions about how well City Hall protects pedestrians from hazardous conditions. The exposed property at 1319 Wyandotte adjoins the sidewalk with no barriers to prevent passersby from falling 10- to 15 feet onto concrete rubble…
Walnut Street Reopening in City Market After 30 Year Absence
Work is well underway on reconnecting Walnut Street through the City Market with completion expected in May. The city project will reopen Walnut as a two-way street from Third to Fifth streets on weekdays, and is intended to not only improve traffic flow, but make it a more pedestrian-friendly environment. The street will be closed…
New Royals Owner Talks About Downtown Baseball, East Village
By Kevin Collison While cautioning it’s early in the game, John Sherman, the new owner of the Royals, has no problem talking up the economic benefits of downtown baseball and says he’s already being lobbied on possible sites. “Baseball creates more economic opportunity in denser areas versus suburban areas or less dense areas,” Sherman said…
Greater Downtown Enters New Year Ready for Work(ers)
By Kevin Collison Greater downtown enters 2020 poised to tackle a key ingredient missing from an otherwise successful previous decade when thousands of residents, dozens of street-level businesses, and the streetcar line were added to the mix. That lagging factor has been jobs. If all goes according to already approved plans, by this summer there…
Multi-Phase Freighthouse District Redevelopment Plan to Kick Off in Early 2020
By Kevin Collison Developer Vince Bryant intends to launch his ambitious redevelopment plan for the Freight House District by renovating the former Superior Moving & Storage buildings at 2020 Walnut into office space. Bryant also is planning a separate project, called “Podium on Main” that calls for building 200,000 square feet of new office space…
‘Unique’ Mixed-Use Tower Proposed for 14th and Wyandotte
(UPDATED Jan. 20, 2021. The property at the northeast corner of 14th and Wyandotte, 106 W. 14th St. and 1319 Wyandotte, is back on the market with an asking price of $7.1 million. The listing is being handled by Block & Co. and the land is described as being available for a potential mixed-used development….