Transportation
Gillham Bike Path Nears Completion from Cleaver to Crossroads
By Kevin Collison After years of coasting when it comes to shielding cyclists, the city is racing to finish its longest protected bike path to date, a 3 1/2 mile, north-south route along Gillham Road from near Cleaver Boulevard to the East Crossroads. The completion of the Gillham route, already the city’s longest protected bike…
UMKC Proposing Student Housing, Retail by Planned Streetcar Terminus
(Editor’s note: CityScene is taking some time off for a vacation, this article originally appeared on June 30.) By Kevin Collison A new UMKC master plan that calls for developing housing for 500 students along with retail space at the terminus of the planned streetcar route has been approved by the University of Missouri Board…
North Loop Among ‘Freeways without Futures’ in New National Report
(Editor’s note: CityScene is taking some time off for a vacation, this article originally appeared on June 2.) By Kevin Collison The downtown North Loop is among 15 freeways throughout the country that should be removed and their tracks revitalized according to a new report by a national non-profit organization that champions “walkable urbanism.” The “Freeways…
Streetcar Looks East and West to KU Med in Proposed New Study
By Kevin Collison A one-mile streetcar extension that would take passengers west on 39th Street from the new Main Street line and across the border to the KU Med Center is the subject of a study that won Streetcar Authority support Thursday. It also would explore extending a potential line east of Main along Linwood….
North Kansas City Thinks Big with New Apartments, Streetcar Extension
By Kevin Collison Rising from the heart of North Kansas City, a nine-story apartment project is a prominent symbol of the big goals set by this small community just across the river from downtown, including the eventual extension of the streetcar. “We want to have a vibrant downtown that’s not just entertainment driven,” said Sara…
ABC Storage Slated to Become Lofts, Latest Exact Deal on Streetcar Route
By Kevin Collison Exact Partners has snapped more properties on Main Street in anticipation of the streetcar extension: the six-story ABC Storage building at 3244 Main and a smaller building next door. The firm has the propertiess under contract and intends to redevelop the buildings, which date to the early 1900s, into apartments with commercial…
Streetcar Authority Looks to Extend Line Over River to Booming North KC
By Kevin Collison The KC Streetcar Authority is pursuing a long-sought extension over the river into North Kansas City, seeking proposals that would result in a detailed plan by mid-2022 about its design and financing. The agency has released a request for proposals that’s due later this month. It would use as a starting point…
Downtown Council Seeks Federal Grant to Advance South Loop Deck Plan
By Kevin Collison The Downtown Council is applying for a federal grant to continue planning an estimated $160 million South Loop Link that would create a four-block park spanning the busy freeway that divides the central business district from the Crossroads. The application is seeking $2.4 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation that would…
UMKC Proposing Student Housing, Retail by Planned Streetcar Terminus
By Kevin Collison A new UMKC master plan that calls for developing housing for 500 students along with retail space at the terminus of the planned streetcar route has been approved by the University of Missouri Board of Curators. The proposed development is part of a larger UMKC Master Plan 2021 for the Volker and…
City Hall Routes Streetcar Tax Assessment Down Wrong Track
By Kevin Collison The streetcar financial board plan to inform property owners about the upcoming special tax assessment for the Main Street expansion was derailed recently when thousands of additional letters were mailed in error due to a City Hall screwup. The board wanted to inform property owners who’ll pay the special assessment within the…