Downtown Living
Cathedral Pursuing $14M Campaign for New Parish Center, Homeless Facility
By Kevin Collison The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, a landmark church that pre-dates downtown, has launched a $14 million campaign to build a new parish hall and renovate space for its breakfast program for the homeless. The brick Cathedral at 11th and Broadway with its striking gold dome steeple traces its roots to a…
Oak Tower may be Restored to Original 1920s Grandeur
By Kevin Collison A towering downtown architectural treasure that’s been hidden by cement stucco since 1974 may be restored to its Gothic glory by a Lawrence developer. The 28-story Oak Tower near City Hall was bought by Bill Schultheis a year ago, and he’s pursuing a renovation plan that would restore its original terra cotta exterior…
Liberty Street Green Space Completes First Year in West Bottoms
By Kevin Collison One of greater downtown’s newer “parks” recently celebrated a quiet first anniversary, except for the rumbling trucks overhead. It’s called the Liberty Street Green Space and it replaces a grubby, former no-man’s land beneath the I-670 overpass in the West Bottoms with decorative pavers, walking trails and landscaping. The project was part…
New Plan Would Redevelop Former AT&T Building Into Apartments
By Kevin Collison The vacant, former AT&T office building at 500 E. Eighth St. would be redeveloped as a 265-unit apartment project under a fresh proposal that’s been submitted to a city development agency. The Bernstein Cos. of Washington D.C. has a contract to purchase the property from its current developer, Maxus Properties of North…
Work Begins on $52M Apartment Project in Freight House District
(Editor’s note: This updated article originally appeared on Aug. 16.) By Kevin Collison The 193-unit Tracks apartment project in the Freight House District has begun construction, two years after it was first proposed. The $52.5 million development is being built by Milhaus, an Indianapolis developer that also recently completed the 338-unit Artistry KC apartment complex…
Converting O’Neil Bridge to Linear Park ‘Top Priority’ for City Officials
(Editor’s note, updated March 3: The city announced today it is issuing a request for proposals/qualifications to study the reuse of the existing Buck O’Neil Bridge. The study will be done by the City of Kansas City, Jackson County and Clay County using $300,000 from the Missouri Department of Transportation. “The study will gather public…
Converge KC Apartments Revive Key Midtown Corner
By Kevin Collison Converge KC, the $46 million apartment project at Valentine Road and Broadway, has transformed a formerly moribund corner with a tired strip mall and parking lot into a dynamic urban addition to Midtown. The 213-unit project was built above what was once Uptown Shoppes, which had its retail space renovated as part…
Midtown Plaza Project Nears Completion, Second Phase Planned
By Kevin Collison The first phase of the Midtown Plaza apartment project, the renovation of a 1970s office building at 3420 Broadway, is nearing completion with a second phase of the long-delayed development expected to be introduced at City Hall soon. The conversion of the seven-story, former Missouri Gas Energy building into 108 apartments was…
Mac Tweaks Big Mixed-Use Plan at Armour and Main
By Kevin Collison Mac Properties has tweaked it’s big mixed-use project proposed for Main and Armour, slightly reducing its size and incentive request in response to discussions with the neighborhood and taxing jurisdictions. The development first reported by CityScene KC in August, calls for renovating the US Bank office building at Main and Armour, and…
Work on $57M Fashionbilt Lofts May Start Next Spring
By Kevin Collison The developer of the proposed 222-unit Fashionbilt Lofts near Quality Hill is wrapping up his application for historic tax credits and anticipates starting work on the $57 million project this spring. Gary Hassenflu of MW Development plans to renovate the historic Barton Brothers Shoe Co. Building at 423 W. Eighth St., build…