Downtown Living
End of River Market Era, Pioneering Developer Dana Gibson Sells Holdings
By Kevin Collison Dana Gibson, who along with Mel Mallin began developing residential projects in the River Market in 1984, has sold his holdings, the final chapter in a downtown revival story that began in the rubble of what was once known as the River Quay. Gibson recalled the area was a wasteland when they…
Troost Gets Another Boost with 89-Unit Apartment Project at Linwood
By Kevin Collison A $14 million apartment project planned for the southwest corner of Linwood and Troost is moving forward following approval of a 25-year property tax abatement by a city development agency last week. UC-B Properties intends to build an 89-unit project at the key intersection, the latest new investment along Troost. Even with…
Developer Wins Final Approval for $78M East Crossroads Apartment Project
By Kevin Collison The $72 million East Crossroads apartment development, a huge residential investment in one of downtown’s trendiest areas, won approval for tax incentives Thursday and is expected to begin construction in December. The 338-unit project being developed by Indianapolis-based Milhaus marks the biggest investment in new construction in an area that has been…
Wonder Shops + Flats Add Yeast to Ongoing Troost Revival
By Kevin Collison The Troost revival is continuing to rise with the Wonder Shops + Flats mixed-use development nearing completion in the former Wonder Bread bakery at the corner of East 30th Street. The 150,000 square-foot building, which opened in 1909 as Continental Bakers before shifting to Wonder Bread, has been restored with 87 apartments,…
Hy-Vee Arena Opens, Bringing New Bounce to Bottoms
By Kevin Collison The Hy-Vee Arena formally opened last week in the West Bottoms at a ceremony where developer Steve Foutch was saluted for his vision and perseverance in reviving what had become a costly white elephant for the city, the former Kemper Arena. “Six years ago, he approached us with the idea of a…
Crossroads Shapes Up with New Men’s Barber Shop
By Kevin Collison The influx of new businesses and services in the Crossroads now includes a men’s barber shop in the mix. Dane Casey has opened his Venturemen Barbering Shoppe inside the EAST + WEST men’s clothing store at 1828 Grand Blvd. He offers what he describes as “high-quality men’s grooming” that includes haircuts, beard…
Copaken Brooks Apartment Tower Starts Construction in November
By Kevin Collison Construction is expected to begin in November on the 14-story Copaken Brooks apartment tower at 18th and Walnut, with completion anticipated in spring 2020. The $40 million project will bring residential life in the Crossroads Arts District to a new level, adding 132 apartments to the neighborhood as well as additional retail…
City Club Apartments Kick Off, First Residents Expected Next Fall
By Kevin Collison The City Club Apartments project at 20th and Main formally broke ground this week, and developers believe there’s a robust appetite for the kind of upscale units it will bring to the Crossroads area. “What’s got me excited is the renters are out there waiting for us,” said Jonathan Holtzman, CEO of…
The Poop on Downtown Dog Owners
By Kim Mueller Combining dog poop and beer seemed like a great idea to Jena Newman who convinced a dozen volunteers to spend their Sunday morning picking up pet waste during downtown’s first “Poo to Brew” event earlier this month. “I’m not scared of any poop,” said Newman, a former Kansas City zookeeper, as she…
Flashcube Building Apartment Project Expects to Start Early 2019
By Kevin Collison The planned redevelopment of the historic “Flashcube” building into apartments has hit a “profound” budget jump due to price increases for construction materials and labor, raising the cost by 38 percent to $69 million. In response, a request by the developer, Worcester Investments, to have its “prevailing wage” labor goal set at…