News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Meddys Bringing Eastern Mediterranean Cuisine to Crossroads
By Kevin Collison Meddys, a popular Wichita restaurant serving healthy dishes from Lebanon and the Eastern Mediterranean region, plans to open its first out-of-town outlet in the Crossroads by next summer. “We love that market and we feel there’s a lot of energy in it,” said Alex Harb, founder of Meddys. “It’s a beautiful city…
Climbing The Career Ladder
There is a lot of talk in workforce development circles about “middle skills” jobs, career opportunities that fall between minimum-wage positions and others that require at least a four-year degree. But Ryan Meador has a different phrase for that wide swath of workers in the center of those two occupational poles. He calls them the…
Drury Checks Out on Proposed Downtown Hotel
By Kevin Collison Drury Hotels has scrapped its plan to build a 242-room downtown hotel, saying the incentive package recommended by SB Friedman, a city consultant, would not provide what the firm believed was a “reasonable” return on its investment. Drury had wanted to demolish the vacant Board of Education building at 1211 McGee and…
Troost Gets Another Boost with 89-Unit Apartment Project at Linwood
By Kevin Collison A $14 million apartment project planned for the southwest corner of Linwood and Troost is moving forward following approval of a 25-year property tax abatement by a city development agency last week. UC-B Properties intends to build an 89-unit project at the key intersection, the latest new investment along Troost. Even with…
Developer Wins Final Approval for $78M East Crossroads Apartment Project
By Kevin Collison The $72 million East Crossroads apartment development, a huge residential investment in one of downtown’s trendiest areas, won approval for tax incentives Thursday and is expected to begin construction in December. The 338-unit project being developed by Indianapolis-based Milhaus marks the biggest investment in new construction in an area that has been…
Wonder Shops + Flats Add Yeast to Ongoing Troost Revival
By Kevin Collison The Troost revival is continuing to rise with the Wonder Shops + Flats mixed-use development nearing completion in the former Wonder Bread bakery at the corner of East 30th Street. The 150,000 square-foot building, which opened in 1909 as Continental Bakers before shifting to Wonder Bread, has been restored with 87 apartments,…
Crossroads Hotel a Striking Addition to Downtown Hospitality Scene
By Kevin Collison The bland exterior of the new Crossroads Hotel at 2101 Central may fool you, but once inside the historic brick shell you’ll discover and enjoy a post-industrial chic vibe that’s right out of New York’s famed SoHo District. The partnership between Chicago-based Simeone Deary Design Group and el dorado architects has created…
Zeroing In On Jobs
Tennessee has terrific country music, incredible scenery, and world-class whiskey. But that is not why Missouri Gov. Mike Parson envies our neighbor to the south and east. He’s interested in emulating more prosaic things like improved academic achievement, rising high school graduation rates — and the nearly half a million private-sector jobs created in Tennessee…
Guy Fieri Driving Into KC Live! Next Year with New Restaurant
Guy Fieri, the flamboyant host of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” is rolling out a new “one-of-a-kind” restaurant at the Kansas City Live! block next year. “Let me just put it this way: If you like to party, and you like tacos, this is gonna be your kinda dive!,” Fieri said in a release from the…
Techweek Caps Annual Downtown Event by Awarding $500,000 in Grants
By Kevin Collison A Techweek packed with speakers, panel discussions and even a mayoral forum culminated Friday in a ceremony that rivaled the Golden Globes for giddy anticipation as $500,000 in grants were announced to promising startup firms. As families and friends gathered with entrepreneurs in booths at No Other Pub with a beer or…