News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Mulberry Lofts Opens in Historic Garment District Building
By Kevin Collison Mulberry Lofts, the latest downtown historic renovation project at 905 Broadway, has come to fruition with half of its 25 apartments already leased two weeks after the first residents began moving in. Developer Andrew Bolton, a New Yorker who relocated to Kansas City while pursuing the $8 million project, has blended the…
Poor Report Card
Educators from around Missouri were brutally honest when they met as a panel at Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s Conference on Economic Development. Many of the state’s schools, including the ones they lead, are not doing enough to prepare students to succeed beyond graduation. When he came to Kansas City two years ago to lead the…
Dinosaurs a Huge Hit at Union Station, Attendance Breaks 100,000
(Editor’s note: Union Station announced Wednesday (Jan. 2) that “Dinosaurs Revealed: Journey Across America” will extend through the 2019 Spring Break season. It was originally scheduled to close Sunday and will now remain open until March 24.) By Kevin Collison Dinosaurs Revealed!, Union Station’s first foray into creating its own major exhibition, has torn through…
Historic Board of Education Building Listed as ‘Place in Peril’ by State Preservation Group
By Kevin Collison The former Board of Education building at 1211 McGee, slated for demolition under a now-withdrawn Drury Hotel proposal, has been listed as one of 15 “Places in Peril” in Missouri by a prominent state historic preservation group. The Board of Ed building, completed in 1960, is the only Kansas City building included…
Election Watch Parties Across KC Metro
Whether you voted for Yoder, McCaskill or medical cannabis, here’s a list of places you can go on both sides of the state line to watch the count with neighbors. If you prefer to watch from the comfort of your couch, tune in at 7 p.m. to KCPT for NewHour’s coverage all evening. Sam Graves Election Night Watch Party…
Hospital Hill Construction Boom Continues with $70M University Health 2 Project
By Kevin Collison The building boom at what’s now being branded the “UMKC Health Sciences District” aka Hospital Hill is continuing with the kickoff of the $70 million University Health 2 project. The 80,000 square-foot facility will accommodate women’s care and primary care services currently in Truman Medical Center, freeing hospital space to expand its…
Are School Buildings Obsolete?
A “school without walls” is typically a euphuism for a building that substitutes collaborative learning for the standard approach of stationing teachers in front of a classroom full of students. But the internet age has brought us to a point where walls literally are superfluous — where students do their work online as part of…
End of River Market Era, Pioneering Developer Dana Gibson Sells Holdings
By Kevin Collison Dana Gibson, who along with Mel Mallin began developing residential projects in the River Market in 1984, has sold his holdings, the final chapter in a downtown revival story that began in the rubble of what was once known as the River Quay. Gibson recalled the area was a wasteland when they…
Kansas City Streetcar Celebrates the Witching Hour–After Nap Time
By Kim Mueller Halloween came early Wednesday when the Kansas City Streetcar Authority began celebrating the holiday after lunch by handing out treats to little riders. This year’s festivities marked the second time the authority offered trick or treating on the streetcars. However, unlike last year’s event held during the lunch hour, this year’s celebration…
Made in KC Artisan Cooperative Pulling Into the River Market
By Kevin Collison Made in Kansas City is pulling into the River Market, occupying the vintage streetcar permanently parked at the corner of Fifth and Delaware. The new outlet, the cooperative’s third downtown location, is expected to open in January and include the eclectic mix of locally-made products that has made the venture a success…