News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Snooze Awakes in Westport
Snooze A.M. Eatery, the Denver-based breakfast chain, is beginning to stir in Westport with a special pop-up preview party this Sunday followed by the formal opening Feb. 5. The new restaurant at 4140 Broadway is partnering with Boulevard Brewing for “Bingo and Brunch” on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will feature the…
Waddell & Reed Project’s Lack of Sidewalk Appeal Gets Chilly Reception
By Kevin Collison The proposed design of the new Waddell & Reed downtown headquarters got a chilly reception at its first public hearing Monday, primarily for its lack of sidewalk appeal to passersby. The only-pedestrian oriented feature planned for the ground floor of the 18-story building at this point is a 3,000 square-foot public lobby…
Push to Shine More Light on Officer-Involved Deaths Comes to Kansas
A Wisconsin law serves as a model for proposed legislation in Kansas aimed at injecting more transparency into cases of an officer-involved death.
Big Apartment Project at Troost and Armour Gains Momentum
MAC Properties’ plan to revitalize the intersection of Troost and Armour with a 340-unit apartment project has been approved by the City Plan Commission.
New Streetcar Authority Chair Works to Keep City Fiscal Support on Track
By Kevin Collison Jeff Krum has hopped onboard as new chairman of the KC Streetcar Authority with a push to keep City Hall financial backing on track as the agency pursues federal funding to extend the route to UMKC. Krum expects the final word from Washington should come within the next 12- to 18 months…
Unearthing the Truth About Slave Burial Sites at KCI
There’s a persistent rumor in local circles that part of Kansas City International Airport was once a slave graveyard. The topic crossed Flatland’s radar when an anonymous contributor asked the curiousKC team to see if there is “any truth to that.” Old news clippings and a 60-page archaeological survey of African American slave sites prove…
Waddell & Reed Reveals Headquarters Design, Signs Lease
By Kevin Collison Waddell & Reed has signed a lease for its new, 1,000-employee downtown headquarters and released a design that depicts an 18-story glass tower resembling a cubist stack of multiple, angled boxes. The building, designed by Burns & McDonnell, is planned for the southwest corner of 14th and Baltimore and across the South…
MAC Plan to Revive Troost and Armour with 340-Unit Apartment Project Wins Support
(Updated Feb. 7, the City Council unanimously approved the Armour Corners project Thursday, the last step necessary before a construction start expected this June) By Kevin Collison MAC Properties big plan to revitalize the intersection of Troost and Armour with a 340-unit apartment development picked up strong backing from the City Plan Commission this week…
Downtown Luncheon Features Timely Speaker, Renowned NY Critic with New Ballpark Book
This year’s Downtown Council Annual Luncheon features a timely keynote speaker, Paul Goldberger, a renowned New York architectural critic with a fresh book titled “BALLPARK: Baseball in the American City.” With the new owner of the Royals, John Sherman, open to the idea of bringing the team downtown, Goldberger’s book examines how ballparks have evolved to…
After a Four-Year Tease, Pickleman’s Finally Opens Downtown Location
By Kevin Collison In what feels like a rollout longer than any party sub ever concocted, Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe finally has opened at the southwest corner of 12th and Walnut. The signs heralding the restaurants pending arrival first went up when the space was leased in 2016 and work began in earnest in 2017, but…