News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
If Historic Tax Credits Go Away, Local and National Redevelopment Will Come to a Crumbling Halt
GUEST COMMENTARY By Elizabeth Rosin Have you noticed how Kansas City has changed over the past decade, how vibrant our urban core has become? It was a gradual process that happened one property at a time. Most of these buildings were transformed using the historic tax credit (HTC), a tool that helps developers leverage private…
Historic Brookfield Building Reopening Soon as Hotel Indigo and Fairfax Lofts
By Kevin Collison Back in its previous heyday, the historic Fairfax building at 11th and Baltimore, later known as the Brookfield, was the place to buy a train or airplane ticket in Kansas City. When it opened in 1930, the 12-story Art Deco tower was named after the then-new Fairfax airport in Kansas City, Kan….
Holiday Magic Begins at Union Station Saturday
Union Station begins the holiday season this Saturday with a day full of free activities for the family capped by the colorful illumination of the historic building and a magical stage and aerial performance by Quixotic. And if that’s not enough, for only $3 per person you can enjoy the Griswold family’s holiday misadventures on…
Mayor James Slams GOP Tax Proposals as ‘Crippling’ to City Redevelopment Including Downtown
Mayor James came out swinging today against Republican tax reform proposals being considered in Washington, saying they would “cripple” vital city redevelopment and infrastructure efforts including the planned new terminal at KCI. “We need an agenda to revitalize and restore the infrastructure of our cities, not cripple future investment in our urban centers,” James said…
Broadway Bistro Adds Jazzy New Vibe to Quality Hill Corner
By Kevin Collison A new bistro and speakeasy bar with plenty of live music on the side have opened in a historic Garment District building at 10th and Broadway in the Quality Hill neighborhood. Broadway Bistro, which offers a full-service breakfast, lunch and dinner menu all week including a Sunday brunch buffet, debuted a week…
Sympathetic Vibrations | Still Trucking
A veritable torrent of rock nostalgia will flow from the recordBar tomorrow night, when ‘90s alt-rockers Truck Stop Love reunites for the first time in 13 years. This is one of a trio of shows to promote the release of its new-but-old LP, “Can’t Hear It: 1991-1994.” The sharp, uptempo alt rock on the record…
Transit Agency Offers Online Ride-Hailing Service Downtown, Plans Metro Expansion in New Year
By Kevin Collison An online, Uber-style ride-hailing service originally established for disabled passengers by the KCATA is being quietly offered in the downtown area to the general public on a pilot basis and is expected to be expanded metro-wide early next year. The program, RideKC Freedom On-Demand, allows users to download an app or call…
Downtown Dazzle Lights Up Washington Square Park This Holiday Season and Expands Schedule
By Kevin Collison The fourth annual Downtown Dazzle, downtown Kansas City’s holiday showcase, is decorating Washington Square Park this year with a new light show intended to create a festive, walkable district that includes Crown Center and Union Station. It’s all part of a new strategy for the annual celebration that seeks to better connect…
Crossroads Sculptor Offers Healing Idea for Former Confederate Memorial Site
By Kevin Collison Sculptor Spencer Schubert has his works prominently displayed across the region from Manhattan to Jefferson City, and now wants to do something closer to home as a healing gesture for his community. He’s proposing a soaring sculpture of two hands grasping a knotted rope as a sign of unity to replace a…
Kansas City Streetcar Project Wins Global Recognition, Passes 3 Million Rider Mark
By Kevin Collison The Kansas City streetcar project can add some international honors to the national recognition its received since opening in May 2016. During the same month the streetcar broke 3 million passengers, the streetcar was honored as Project of the Year in the over $50 million category at the 2017 Global Light Rail…