News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Negro Leagues Museum Swings for $25M Fundraising Fence
By Kevin Collison The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum has launched an ambitious fundraising effort to develop a campus at 18th and The Paseo that would combine a new 30,000 square-foot building with the historic Paseo YMCA. With a lead-off contribution of $1 million from Bank of America, the institution dedicated to the history of one…
Small Businesses Shocked by Low NFL Draft Sales, Now Wary of World Cup
A massive surge in visitors and foot traffic as Kansas City hosted its first NFL Draft failed to generate sales for small businesses outside the event grounds.
Apartment-Hotel Tower Plan at 14th & Wyandotte Clears First Hurdle
By Kevin Collison A proposal to build a 27-story hotel and apartment building at 14th and Wyandotte took its first official step forward Tuesday on a preparation journey that’s expected to last at least into next year. The City Plan Commission unanimously endorsed the development plan being pursued by Lux Living for what’s now vacant…
Ralph Yarl Shooting Reverberates in KC’s Liberian Community
The shooting of Ralph Yarl has reverberated through Kansas City’s close-knit Liberian community, which has rallied around one of their own.
Historic Building at 2100 Grand Slated for Renovation
A six-story building at 2100 Grand that opened in 1911 is slated to be renovated into offices, a spa and 13 short-term rental units, according to a city application. The redevelopment plan includes a potential coffee shop on the main floor along the Grand viaduct with a spa and dental/medical spaces on the next two…
Barrio Taqueria Opening at Martini Corner This June with Rooftop Patio
By Kevin Collison Barrio is adding a fourth outlet at Martini Corners in the former Sol Cantina space, this one with serving a more streamlined menu and a modified name, Barrio Taqueria. Chris Ridler, a partner in Barrio Taqueria, says the new restaurant will include a rooftop patio that can accommodate 75 people, more television…
Nick’s Picks | NFL Draft Cleanup, Busy Week Ahead in KC
The NFL Draft is over. But there’s a lot going on in Kansas City this first week of May.
Super-Green River Market Apartment Project For Sale
By Kevin Collison Second + Delaware, Kansas City’s greenest apartment project, is up for sale less than three years after opening in the River Market. The $71 million project was built to “passive house” standards that included 16-inch concrete walls with a layer of foam in the middle. It uses 90 percent less energy than…
Spend a Day at the NFL Draft
Flatland attended the first day of the NFL Draft in Kansas City to capture the fan experience in pictures. Here is a pictorial gallery.
Can ChatGPT Write the News?
News organizations are grappling with the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on journalism. As a test, Flatland asked ChatGPT to write a story.