Development
Formal Groundbreaking for Convention Hotel Set for March 1, April 2020 Completion
By Kevin Collison A ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Loews Kansas City Convention Center Hotel is scheduled for March 1, and if all goes well, the “four-star plus” hotel should be completed by late April 2020. Attorney Mike Burke, who began championing the current project in 2011, told a monthly luncheon of the Downtowners the…
Crown Center Offers New Site for Potential Mid-Rise Apartments
By Kevin Collison Hallmark Cards, Inc. is continuing to offer choice Crown Center construction sites to outside developers, this time a 4.4-acre tract south of the Shook Hardy law firm office tower. The site is being marketed by Block Real Estate Services and is described as a development opportunity for a “unique, mid-high rise multifamily”…
UMKC Downtown Conservatory Plan Collapses After Losing Key Funding
By Kevin Collison In a major setback to downtown’s cultural ambitions, the planned UMKC Downtown Conservatory has suffered a fatal financial blow, losing a $20 million private pledge essential to building the project, according to sources familiar with the endeavor. The sources told CityScene KC that the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation has withdrawn its $20…
Major Residential Project Likely for Two-Block East Crossroads Site
By Kevin Collison The laid-back East Crossroads district is about to become much livelier with the pending purchase of two blocks by an Indianapolis developer whose expertise is building big residential projects. Milhaus, the developer of the 400-unit Gallerie residential project going up south of Crown Center, has a deal to buy a two-block parcel between…
New Crossroads Office Project to House Three Firms, Employ 150
By Kevin Collison Construction on the latest Crossroads Arts District office project is underway, an $8.5 million renovation of the former McQueeny-Lock building that will house three firms. The project, called 520 Penn, will accommodate the headquarters of Centric Projects, Superior Bowen and Inspired Homes, for a total of about 150 employees. Plans call for…
Corrigan Station Addition Breaking Ground Next Month with Academy Bank as Anchor
Work on an $11 million addition to the Corrigan Station development is scheduled to begin next month now that a major tenant has been lined up. Academy Bank will be the anchor tenant for the three-story building going up on a former parking lot west of the original Corrigan Station building at 1828 Walnut St….
Children’s Mercy Hospital Launches Construction of Nine-Story Research Building
Construction has begun on a nine-story research building at the Children’s Mercy Hospital downtown campus following record donations totaling $150 million from the Hall Family Foundation and the Sunderland Foundation. When completed in early 2020, employment at the Children’s Research Institute is projected to grow ten-fold, hospital spokeswoman Lisa Augustine said. “It’s hard to put a number…
Three Light, Convention Hotel Bond Sale Part of Big Downtown Pep Talk by City Manager
By Kevin Collison City Manager Troy Schulte led a downtown advocacy group on a wide-ranging review Wednesday that included big announcements and updates regarding several major projects. In a follow-up interview, Schulte said he told the KC Downtowners that an ordinance for Three Light, the latest high-rise apartment project planned by the Cordish Co., is…
Proposal Uses Existing Garage at Ninth and Wyandotte as Foundation for New Development
By Kevin Collison A redevelopment proposal that would allow construction of a five-story apartment or hotel project above an existing garage at Ninth and Wyandotte has been filed with the city as part of a plan to sell the property. Rick Powell wants to sell the former John’s Garage at 913 Wyandotte and adjoining vacant…
Kemper Arena Developer Picks Up Pieces After Mosaic Naming Rights Deal Falls Apart
By Kevin Collison The developer transforming the former Kemper Arena into a massive amateur sports complex shrugged of the loss of his naming rights partner Wednesday, saying it won’t interfere with completing the $39 million endeavor. “We knew ahead of time that Mosaic (Life Care) was going to make an announcement, but we couldn’t say…