News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Boutique Hotel Proposed for Historic City Workhouse Castle on Vine
The ruined former City Workhouse Castle built in 1897 to incarcerate petty criminals and vagrants would accommodate a far more upscale clientele as a boutique hotel in a new redevelopment proposal.
Security Guards May Have Been Involved in 1988 Explosion that Killed 6 Kansas City Firefighters
Newly released government documents involving a 1988 arson fire that killed six Kansas City firefighters affirm the guilt of five people who were convicted of the crime but also find that two other individuals may have been involved.
Pembroke Ward Parkway Campus Completes $52M Expansion
By Kevin Collison Pembroke Hill has completed a $52 million expansion of its Ward Parkway Campus that includes a new athletic center and a dining hall illuminated by windows featuring striking sculptural screens. The new 53,000 square-foot Bellis Athletic Center replaces the aging Pierson gymnasium and expands the private school’s ability to host athletic and…
Nick’s Picks | KC Awakens to a Brutal Chiefs Hangover
The Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl hopes come to an end with a second half collapse and an overtime loss against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Crescendo Project to Add Affordable Housing Near Downtown
By Kevin Collison A $10.6 million development plan that would add 39 affordable apartments to the Wendell Phillips neighborhood is being planned by the same developer who has built similar projects near downtown. Brinshore Development is teaming with the Urban Neighborhood Initiative on what’s called the UNI Crescendo project. It calls for 10 townhome-style apartment…
Omaha Going Big on Downtown with New Skyscraper, Streetcar Line
(Editor’s note: This article about two major developments announced Wednesday in Omaha is being published to inform CityScene readers about what other regional cities are doing to revitalize their greater downtowns. The last office tower built in downtown Kansas City was the 18-story H&R Block headquarters in 2006. The 30-story 1201 Walnut building opened in…
Houseless Hotel: A ‘Housing First’ Solution for Those Without Homes
Lotus Care House is a 1970s era hotel that is being converted into transitional housing and a service center for the homeless. It is part of a “housing first” approach to addressing homelessness in Kansas City.
Imagine KC Strategic Plan Seeks More ‘Equitable Downtown’
By Kevin Collison A strategic plan that encompasses neighborhoods more than a mile from the skyscrapers of its central business district and envisions downtown as an economic catalyst for that larger area was rolled out Tuesday by the Downtown Council. The new Imagine Downtown KC 2030 Strategic Plan was two years in the making and seeks…
Imagine Downtown KC Strategic Plan Seeks More ‘Equitable Downtown’
A strategic plan that encompasses neighborhoods more than a mile from Kansas City’s skyscrapers and envisions downtown as an economic catalyst for that larger area was rolled out Tuesday by the Downtown Council.
Decking South Loop Tops Downtown Improvement Priority List in Survey
By Kevin Collison The proposed decking of the South Loop freeway with a park was the most popular of three potential big downtown improvements being discussed these days, according to CityScene readers responding to an informal survey. More than 40 people offered their opinions on Facebook and Twitter last week about how they would prioritize…