News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Streetcar-Inspired Main Street Land Rush Continues With Mac Properties Deal
Mac Properties has acquired a high-profile site at Main Street and Armour Boulevard and is planning a substantial mixed-use project including apartments and retail.
West Plaza Flats Project Importing ‘Co-Living’ Concept to KC
By Kevin Collison Construction has begun on a five-story apartment project at 44th and Belleview that’s introducing a lifestyle imported from Denmark and an imposing tower crane above the West Plaza. The 102-unit West Plaza Flats development is being built on a 1.5-acre site at 4400-4434 Belleview by Price Management. The site originally was approved…
Affordable Townhome Project Proposed in Troost Corridor
By Kevin Collison The developer of the Wonder Shops + Flats project on Troost wants to continue investing in the area by building nine townhomes at 29th and Forest as affordable housing, but there’s one hitch. While the vacant property where the Forest Townhomes project is planned is part of a longtime neighborhood in the…
Bally Submits $61M Upgrade Plan for Former Isle of Capri Casino
By Kevin Collison Bally, the owner of the former Isle of Capri Casino, now Casino KC, has filed a plan with the city that calls for encasing the fake riverboat with a contemporary facade and building 38,400 square feet of commercial space. In a second phase, the plan calls for a seven-story, 150-room hotel to…
In South Kansas City, Death of Newspapers is Greatly Exaggerated
The Martin City Telegraph is an anomaly in the newspaper business – startup print publication that is growing.
St. Joe Brewer Opening Pub in River Market
By Kevin Collison River Bluff Brewing, a St. Joseph microbrewery, is opening a location in the River Market in the historic City Water Department building this spring at 201 Second St. “Kansas City has such a great beer scene,” said Chris Lanman, founder of River Bluff. “There are so many great brewers and we always…
Covid Forces Developers to Shift Historic Scarritt, Uptown Plans
By Kevin Collison Covid has forced two developers to check out of their hotel proposals and pivot to welcoming apartment residents instead. The developer of the Scarritt office tower at 818 Grand and its adjoining Arcade now plans to redevelop the historic buildings as a 126-unit apartment project that would include a first level grocery…
Nick’s Picks | Rescheduling Vaccines, Stimulus Check Update
Here’s what you need to know this Christmas week.
Stories of 2020 | Think J.C. Nichols Was Racist? Meet Kroh Brothers
Flatland is counting down our top 10 stories of the year on weekdays between Dec. 21, 2020 and Jan. 1, 2021.
Fresh Karma Going Big on Midtown Marijuana Dispensary
By Kevin Collison A long-neglected property at 240 E. Linwood across from Costco and Home Depot is slated to be the home of one of the city’s larger medical marijuana dispensaries. Construction is underway for a 5,500 square-foot dispensary operated by Fresh Karma. It’s one of three dispensaries the firm is planning. The others are…