News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Of Monumental Importance
A few months ago Chris Dixon, who drives on Ward Parkway every week with his family to go to church, sat at a stoplight. Dixon looked over and noticed something on the median where Ward Parkway meets W. 55th Street. He saw it was a monument dedicated to the women of the Confederacy. Dixon dropped…
Ambassador Hotel Gets Incentive Nod for $14.9 Million Expansion, Work to Begin Soon
By Kevin Collison The owner of the Ambassador Hotel at 1111 Grand plans to break ground on a nine-story addition this fall after receiving approval for tax incentives last week. The $14.9 million project will add 70 rooms to the 43-room boutique hotel that opened in the historic Gate City National Bank Building in 2012….
Joe’s Kansas City Teams with Back Napkin to Open ‘County Line Ice House’ in Power & Light District
By Kevin Collison Kansas City’s top-ranked barbecue joint, Joe’s Kansas City, is collaborating with the creators of the Westport Ale House to open an all-star, Southern-style “ice house” food and beer joint in the downtown Power & Light District. Just two weeks after Gordon Biersch, a national brewpub chain, pulled out of its 8,500 square-foot…
As Far As the Eye Can See (Hint: It’s Not Far)
As it happens, the stars have aligned between curiousKC and the historic astronomical event coming Aug. 21. Just as our region was preparing for the full lunar eclipse, Kansas Citian Clark Johnson wondered if there is any local regulation of light pollution. Johnson asked curiousKC: “Is there an ordinance for reducing light pollution?” While light…
‘Bird’ Celebration Takes Wing This Week in Downtown Kansas City, Elsewhere
By Kevin Collison The Fourth Annual Charlie Parker Celebration, an event that honors both the music legend and boosts Kansas City’s current jazz scene, begins today (Thursday) with a reception at the American Jazz Museum at 6 p.m. in the 18th & Vine District. It’s the start of a 12-day festival, described as the largest…
City Club Apartments Begins Marketing Its New $76.8 Million Crossroads Project
By Kevin Collison City Club Apartments has begun a marketing campaign for a $76.8 million development that’s expected to transform a desolate block along the streetcar line in the Crossroads District into a dynamic mixed-use project. The suburban Detroit-based developer is planning to renovate the historic Midwest Hotel at 1925 Main St. and combine it…
Death Linked To Bourbon Virus Raises Questions About Tick-Borne Diseases
Tammy Wilson loved the outdoors and was happy to spend her days working at Meramec State Park in the central part of Missouri. Her family often stopped by to see her, most recently at the end of May “My mom had two seed ticks on her hip – I believe it was her right hip,”…
ARTerra Apartment Project in Crossroads District Expected to Set New Bar for Downtown Rents
By Kevin Collison It was only a few years ago that apartment developers in downtown Kansas City dreamed of getting $1.50 per square foot in rent. Last week at the groundbreaking for the ARTerra project, developer Jon Copaken said its units will go for $2.30 per square foot, the same rate as Two Light, the…
Offering More
With more and more gluten-free options for breads available in grocery stores, last month, the Vatican reminded Catholics to be wary of the alternatives for altar bread. At Pope Francis’ request, the July letter reminded Catholics around the world that the bread they use for mass should contain wheat and water only, and to be…
Mayor Hosting Rock the Block Celebration Saturday at Washington Square Park
The sixth annual “Sly’s Rock the Block” celebration, a free, family-oriented event, will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Washington Square Park. The event is held to recognize the end of city summer programs and the beginning of a new school year. It will feature live music, cultural performances and other…