News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
As Fertilizer Pollutes Tap Water in Small Towns, Rural Kansans Pay the Price
For towns with only a few hundred residents, keeping tap water clean and safe can pose a crippling expense. The predicament is likely to become more common in western Kansas as farm chemicals seep into dwindling water supplies.
Riverfront Hotel and Apartment Projects Take First Steps Forward
By Kevin Collison A proposed $29 million boutique hotel that would be the first big commercial project on the downtown riverfront during its recent revival won preliminary support Monday from the Port KC board. The 118-room Origin hotel proposed by The Thrash Group of Hattiesburg, MS would be located across from Berkley Riverfront Park. It…
Search Begins for Kansas City’s Next Chief of Police
The process of gathering community input to replace Kansas City Police Department Chief Rick Smith is being taken up by the Urban League and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.
Reporter Vicky Diaz-Camacho Awarded Higher Education Media Fellowship
Vicky Diaz-Camacho, reporter, host and engagement editor, is among 13 journalists named in a national Higher Education Fellowship.
Port KC to Consider Lux Living Riverfront Apartment Plan
By Kevin Collison The first step in reviewing the proposed Lux Living riverfront apartment project is before the Port KC board today and includes a provision requiring affordable housing to be part of the $56 million development. The St. Louis developer intends to seek an unspecified property tax abatement and sales tax exemption for what’s described…
Cycle City Opens in River Market
By Kevin Collison Cycle City has opened at 201 Main St. in the River Market and owner Joe Fox is envisioning a deal you’ll like at the microbrewery next door while waiting for your bike to be serviced. “I’m working on free drink tokens with River Bluff,” he said. “If you’re getting a bike prepped…
KCATA Pursuing Ambitious Mixed-Use Tower Concept at Tenth and Main
By Kevin Collison The KCATA’s development arm is pursuing a potential 26-story mixed-use tower at its former transit center at 10th and Main, but the concept already is being slammed by a prominent nearby property owner who’d prefer a park there. RideKC Development Corp. (RDC) is working with a development group called Live & Ride…
Facebook coming to Kansas City; Meta selects KCMO for massive, $800M data center
A new hyperscale data center is expected to be operational in Kansas City by 2024 — bringing global social media and tech giant Meta to the metro and making good on promises that a Northland development could be the next great national technology hub.
KCATA Pursues Ambitious Mixed-Use Tower Downtown
The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority’s (KCATA) development arm is pursuing a potential 26-story mixed-use building at its former transit site at 10th and Main streets.
Residential Plan with $500K Townhouses Proposed for Columbus Park
By Kevin Collison A corner of Columbus Park tucked near an interstate ramp is the proposed location of a 20-unit residential project that won approval for property tax incentives Tuesday from a city development agency. The $7 million Columbus Park Apartment plan calls for 10, for-sale townhouses and 10 rental apartments in five duplexes to…