Housing
Flatland covers stories about affordable housing, evictions and tenant rights in the Kansas City metro and surrounding area.
What Do You Want To Know About Housing in the Metro?
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How The House Tax Overhaul Bill Could Hurt Affordable Housing
Builders of affordable housing say the House Republican tax plan has a poison pill inside it that removes a tax incentive crucial for about half of the affordable housing units that get built.
Downtown Council Holiday Drive Collects Clothing and Toys for Homeless Families
The Downtown Council of Kansas City is rolling out the holiday barrels again to collect coats, clothing and toys for homeless families who use the services of ReStart. Sean O’Byrne, vice president of the downtown owners and property association, said this is the 15th year the council has collected donations for the individuals and families…
Developer May Shift Affordable Apartment Project Threatened by State Tax Credit Cut to East Village
By Kevin Collison Developer Kelley Hrabe is scrambling to salvage his plan to build 400 affordable apartments downtown following a sudden shift in state policy and plans to pitch his project for the long-dormant East Village redevelopment area. Hrabe of Prairie Fire Development was about to announce his residential project at another downtown location when…
If Historic Tax Credits Go Away, Local and National Redevelopment Will Come to a Crumbling Halt
GUEST COMMENTARY By Elizabeth Rosin Have you noticed how Kansas City has changed over the past decade, how vibrant our urban core has become? It was a gradual process that happened one property at a time. Most of these buildings were transformed using the historic tax credit (HTC), a tool that helps developers leverage private…
Developer Plans to Renovate “Abandoned Fortress” Building into Apartments
By Kevin Collison A vacant, dilapidated brick building at 27th and Madison that was built in 1920 as a power substation is slated to re-energized as a 10-unit apartment building. “It struck our eyes as being a catalyst to revitalizing that neighborhood and continue Kansas City’s overall revitalization of the urban core and downtown area,”…
Two New Residential Projects in the Works for Paseo Gateway Area on Downtown’s Northeast Edge
By Kevin Collison Construction on two residential projects, a 57-unit apartment development and 22 townhouses, is scheduled to begin next month in The Paseo Gateway redevelopment area on the northeast edge of downtown. The $12.9 million Quinlan Place apartment project and $5.1 million Quinlan Row townhouses project were endorsed by the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority…
Almost Full Commerce Tower Holds Grand Opening; Added Bonus, Dowdy CVS Pharmacy Next Door Getting New Look
By Kevin Collison The $139 million redevelopment of the historic Commerce Tower, described as a ‘vertical neighborhood,’ held its grand opening this week and 95 percent of its 355 apartments are expected to be leased by the end of November. “I knew it was going to do well, but the biggest thing is we’ve had…
Denver Postcard: Cost of Millennial Utopia, Downtown Apartments Cost Over 50 Percent Above KC
By Kevin Collison During a recent visit to old friends in Denver, I got a kick out of their 20-something son’s T-shirt. On it was an image of the retro-wooden, highway sign you see crossing the border: “Welcome to Colorful Colorado.” Beneath it read “No Vacancy.” It was telling of the huge growth boom going…