News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Bird’s Botanicals Adds Bite to Its Downtown City Market Orchid Lineup, Carnivorous Plants
By Kevin Collison David Bird has been a colorful fixture at the City Market in downtown Kansas City for 15 years, delighting shoppers on Saturday mornings with beautiful orchids grown in his operation in a limestone cave. But despite their myriad shapes and colors, people gradually began to lose interest in his orchids and sales…
ARTerra Apartment Project Underway in Downtown Freight House District; Development First Proposed 10 Years Ago
By Kevin Collison The 12-story ARTerra apartment project in the heart of the Freight House District is officially underway, 10 years after it was first proposed. The 126-unit luxury project is being developed at 2100 Wyandotte St. by a partnership between Copaken Brooks of Kansas City and Altus Properties of St. Louis. It represents the…
Artificial Sweeteners Don’t Help People Lose Weight, Review Finds
It’s easy to think that artificial sweeteners are a health win. But a review of research finds that there’s no evidence they help people lose weight, and they may be associated with other problems.
Downtown Council Office Summit Offers Overview of Potential Projects
By Kevin Collison Call it a SimCity for grownups. Last week’s Downtown Council office summit not only provided expert opinion on where the downtown Kansas City office market may be heading over the next few years, but laid out potential office development sites ranging from the Berkley Riverfront to Washington Square. To summarize, the consensus…
Italy’s Coffee Culture Brims With Rituals And Mysterious Rules
Coffee — it’s something many can’t start the day without. In Italy, it is a cultural mainstay, and the country is perhaps the beverage’s spiritual home. After all, Italy gave us the lingo — espresso, cappuccino, latte — and its coffee culture is filled with rituals and mysterious rules. Caffé Greco is Rome’s oldest café….
State Task Force Proposes Major Cuts and Restrictions to Historic Tax Credit Program
By Kevin Collison A task force established by Gov. Greitens to examine state tax credit policy has returned with recommendations that preservationists say would substantially cut the historic tax credit program and make it much more difficult to utilize The task force is recommending the historic tax credit program be lumped together with the brownfield…
Developers Confident New Downtown Office Construction Coming Soon as Supply Continues to Tighten
Downtown Kansas City is on the cusp of new office construction to meet the needs of employers who want to recruit and retain younger workers seeking the diversity and energy of an urban environment. That was one of the takeaways at the Downtown Council of Kansas City‘s first ever office summit Wednesday, an event attended…
Rural Health Care Group In Leawood Says Senate Plan Will Hit Rural Hospitals Hard
The health care plan unveiled last month by the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate met with fierce opposition from hospital, doctor and patient advocacy groups. Among them was the National Rural Health Association, which is based in Leawood, Kansas, and represents doctors, nurses and hospitals in rural areas nationwide. It says the Senate plan would spell trouble…
New Renderings of Planned Convention Hotel Show Transformation of Current Downtown Dead Zone
By Kevin Collison Developer Mike Burke recently showed off the latest renderings of the planned 800-room Loews Kansas City Convention Center Hotel, a project that will replace a bland office building and parking lot with a 21-story glass tower. The project, which is expected to begin construction in October with completion anticipated in late 2019…
Summit to Examine Missing Ingredient in Downtown Kansas City’s Revival: Private Sector Jobs
By Kevin Collison Downtown Kansas City has experienced a strong rebound over the past 15 years with thousands of new residents and scores more entertainment venues, restaurants and bars. What’s been missing in its renaissance are businesses willing to locate their offices and employees there. This Wednesday, the Downtown Council is hosting a Downtown KC…