News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
‘Queer Eye’ Cast Boffo Hit at Downtown Library Book Event
By Kim Mueller Molly Vazquez and Erik Crawford huddled four hours in 34-degree weather outside the Downtown Public Library Wednesday night to see “The Fab Five” discuss their new book, “Queer Eye: Love Yourself. Love Your Life.” “We got in line at 2:30 because we wanted good seats,” said Crawford. “We knew how fast the…
Michael Smith’s Italian Restaurant ‘Farina’ Opening Late January
Celebrated chef Michael Smith’s new restaurant concept “Farina” is scheduled to open in late January at 19th and Baltimore in the Crossroads Arts District. The restaurant, which took over the former Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art space, originally was expected to open by Thanksgiving, but renovation delays have pushed that date back about two months….
A Role For City Hall
Google Fiber, the new streetcar and a booming downtown have all helped Kansas City recruit talented young people, Mayor Sly James said when a group of mayors sat down to talk about workforce development at Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s Conference on Economic Development. Not so long ago, he observed, people moved to a place because…
Historic Palace Clothing Co. Building Finding New Future as Boutique Hotel
By Kevin Collison The historic Palace Clothing Co. building at 12th and Grand is slated to become a 110-room Canopy by Hilton boutique hotel, the latest entry to the booming downtown hospitality market. The planned $30 million renovation is being done by Mark Patel, a developer who also redeveloped the historic Gumbel Building into a…
Blue Collar Jobs Make (Lots Of) Cents
What would you say to making $18 per hour after less than half a year of postsecondary training? Or $35 an hour in a union job? Those aren’t hypotheticals. Workforce experts say those jobs exist in the Kansas City area, and workers are in demand. One of the biggest hurdles in matching people with those…
New YMCA Coming Downtown After 37-Year Absence, Work Starts Friday
By Kevin Collison A new downtown YMCA, a huge civic endeavor in the making for seven years, is scheduled to kickoff construction Friday in the former Lyric Theater building with completion expected in spring 2021. The $35 million Y will incorporate the front facade and lobby of the historic theater at 1029 Central and build…
All In The Family
Dave Damico has fond memories of talking baseball with his grandfather while growing up in Grandview, Missouri, just south of Kansas City. But one subject Damico’s grandfather rarely discussed — save for mention of fleas and lice — was his time in the trenches as a regimental-supply sergeant during World War I. Nor does Damico…
Jumping on e-scooters on the fly? Think twice
Exiting her daughter’s apartment building on a recent Sunday, Janet Korte spotted something that looked just like the motorless Razor scooters her children loved to ride. “So I thought, ‘This’ll be a piece of cake,’” said Korte, 52, who was visiting Kansas City from Wichita. She pressed her thumb on the throttle, and the scooter…
The Grand Adds Sixties Modern Cool to Downtown Living
By Kevin Collison The Grand, one of downtown’s biggest historic preservation projects ever, opens this week following a $65 million renovation that’s transformed a 1962 office tower into a stylish “Sixties Modern” living environment. The 201 apartments in the former Traders National Bank Building at 1125 Grand are 20 percent pre-leased and interest has been…
Folk Alliance Welcomed to New Crossroads Digs
By Kevin Collison The Folk Alliance dedicated its new home in the Crossroads Arts District Thursday and the international music organization was welcomed by Mayor Sly James for its contribution to Kansas City’s cultural scene. “We appreciate the rich artistic and cultural history of this city,” the mayor said. “One of the great things to…