Development
Historic Kansas City Star Building Sold, to be Redeveloped as Office Project for 1,200 Workers
By Kevin Collison The Kansas City Star’s historic headquarters building at 1729 Grand Blvd. has been sold to a local developer who wants to redevelop the property as a first-class office project for up to 1,200 workers. On Friday, The Star’s parent company, Sacramento-based McClatchy, announced it had sold the historic property and the 11-year-old…
River Market West II Wins Tax Incentive Approval, $23.6 Million Apartment Project
By Kevin Collison The apartment boom in the downtown River Market district got a little louder Thursday with the approval of tax incentives for a 116-unit development at Fifth and Wyandotte streets. The developer of River Market West II was granted a 15-year property tax abatement by the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority. The $23.6 million…
Historic Pickwick Plaza Gets Its Landmark Clock Back Just in Time for Grand Opening
By Kevin Collison The historic Pickwick Plaza in downtown Kansas City is back on the clock–literally–after a $65 million redevelopment project. On Wednesday, workers were reinstalling the eight-foot diameter clock mounted seven stories above McGee Street, one of the final touches before the grand opening Friday of the 260-unit apartment development. “That clock is symbolic…
ARTerra Apartment Project Underway in Downtown Freight House District; Development First Proposed 10 Years Ago
By Kevin Collison The 12-story ARTerra apartment project in the heart of the Freight House District is officially underway, 10 years after it was first proposed. The 126-unit luxury project is being developed at 2100 Wyandotte St. by a partnership between Copaken Brooks of Kansas City and Altus Properties of St. Louis. It represents the…
Downtown Council Office Summit Offers Overview of Potential Projects
By Kevin Collison Call it a SimCity for grownups. Last week’s Downtown Council office summit not only provided expert opinion on where the downtown Kansas City office market may be heading over the next few years, but laid out potential office development sites ranging from the Berkley Riverfront to Washington Square. To summarize, the consensus…
State Task Force Proposes Major Cuts and Restrictions to Historic Tax Credit Program
By Kevin Collison A task force established by Gov. Greitens to examine state tax credit policy has returned with recommendations that preservationists say would substantially cut the historic tax credit program and make it much more difficult to utilize The task force is recommending the historic tax credit program be lumped together with the brownfield…
Developers Confident New Downtown Office Construction Coming Soon as Supply Continues to Tighten
Downtown Kansas City is on the cusp of new office construction to meet the needs of employers who want to recruit and retain younger workers seeking the diversity and energy of an urban environment. That was one of the takeaways at the Downtown Council of Kansas City‘s first ever office summit Wednesday, an event attended…
New Renderings of Planned Convention Hotel Show Transformation of Current Downtown Dead Zone
By Kevin Collison Developer Mike Burke recently showed off the latest renderings of the planned 800-room Loews Kansas City Convention Center Hotel, a project that will replace a bland office building and parking lot with a 21-story glass tower. The project, which is expected to begin construction in October with completion anticipated in late 2019…
Summit to Examine Missing Ingredient in Downtown Kansas City’s Revival: Private Sector Jobs
By Kevin Collison Downtown Kansas City has experienced a strong rebound over the past 15 years with thousands of new residents and scores more entertainment venues, restaurants and bars. What’s been missing in its renaissance are businesses willing to locate their offices and employees there. This Wednesday, the Downtown Council is hosting a Downtown KC…
Atlas Apartment Project Revives Historic Berlau Paper Co. Building in Crossroads
By Kevin Collison It had been a long time since Boulevard Brewing President Jeff Krum restored his last building, but he couldn’t resist the Romanesque Revival charms of the 115-year-old former Berlau Paper Co. building at 1509 Walnut St. “It’s an incredibly handsome building,” he said, “and one of the few of that quality and…