News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Kansas City Area Entertainment Venues Get More Than $40 Million in Economic Relief, More to Come
Live entertainment venues, among the hardest hit businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, are finally getting some long-sought economic relief from the federal government.
WeekEnder Movie and Concert Series Begins Friday at Crown Center
Crown Center kicks off its WeekEnder series this Friday and will once again be showing outdoor movies after skipping that part of the program last summer due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The free, family-friendly outdoor entertainment series will feature a movie, live music, food and beverages each Friday evening in July starting at 6 p.m….
Can Missouri Get Out Rental Assistance Fast Enough to Prevent Evictions?
Missouri has hundreds of millions of dollars in rental assistance available. But it’s unclear whether it can dispense those funds fast enough to help Missourians avoid evictions.
Can $1 Houses Help the Unhoused in Kansas City?
The Land Bank of Kansas City is offering vacant homes for $1 to help address homelessness. It’s unclear how many groups will step up to fix the houses to be occupied.
Cycle City Rolling Into River Market with Second Location
By Kevin Collison Cycle City, a popular Parkville bicycle shop for 18 years, plans to open a second location in the River Market this October in the historic Water Building at 201 Main St. Owner Joe Fox and his partner Derek Braun decided a second operation made sense in one of downtown’s most dynamic neighborhoods….
KC Animal Shelter Dealing With a Post-Pandemic Onslaught of Pets
Kansas City’s municipal animal shelter is dealing with an onslaught of pets in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Downtown Council Seeks Federal Grant to Advance South Loop Deck Plan
By Kevin Collison The Downtown Council is applying for a federal grant to continue planning an estimated $160 million South Loop Link that would create a four-block park spanning the busy freeway that divides the central business district from the Crossroads. The application is seeking $2.4 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation that would…
Katz Owner Seeks Demo Permit After Redevelopment Plan Denied
(Updated July 1: The City Council voted 9-2 to reconsider the Katz redevelopment project and send it back to committee at the request of the proposal’s sponsor City Councilwoman Katheryn Shields. Shields said Councilman Eric Bunch, who sponsored the amendment to reduce the proposal’s property tax abatement and add a requirement for affordable housing and…
UMKC Proposing Student Housing, Retail by Planned Streetcar Terminus
By Kevin Collison A new UMKC master plan that calls for developing housing for 500 students along with retail space at the terminus of the planned streetcar route has been approved by the University of Missouri Board of Curators. The proposed development is part of a larger UMKC Master Plan 2021 for the Volker and…
UMKC Proposing Student Housing, Retail by Planned Streetcar Terminus
A new University of Missouri-Kansas City master plan calls for developing housing for 500 students along with retail space at the southern terminus of the planned KC Streetcar route.