Transportation
Katz Redevelopment Plan Sparks Incentive Debate on Streetcar Route
By Kevin Collison An apartment plan that would save the landmark Katz Drugstore has become the opening salvo in a City Hall debate over how–or whether–tax incentives should be available to assist developments planned along the new streetcar extension down Main. Lux Living plans to seek a 25-year property tax abatement to help finance the…
North Loop Among ‘Freeways without Futures’ in New National Report
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 Without Futures 2021” report by the Washington D.C.-based Congress for The New Urbanism (CNU) also supports lowering Missouri…
Office Tower Proposed at New 27th and Main Streetcar Stop
By Kevin Collison An $83.4 million office tower is in the works for vacant property owned by Crown Center near the planned 27th and Main streetcar stop. A preliminary plan for what appears to be a 12- to 14-story tower on a site northeast of 27th and Main has been filed with the Kansas City…
Streetcar Riverfront Run Approved, Early 2024 Service
By Kevin Collison Streetcar service from Union Station to Berkley Riverfront Park is expected to be running by early 2024 following the unanimous approval by the Port KC board of an agreement with the KC Streetcar Authority and the KCATA Monday. The half-mile, $20.2 million extension from the current north terminus in the River Market…
MoDOT O’Neil Bridge Design Slammed as ‘Hunk of Concrete’
By Kevin Collison When it comes to the new design for replacing the downtown Buck O’Neil Bridge, mighty MoDOT has struck out, at least on social media. While the alignment and basic description of the $220 million replacement project was publicized a year ago, it took MoDOT’s release of architectural renderings and a virtual flyover this…
New City Manager Talks About Police, Streetcar Development and Ballpark
Brian Platt, the new city manager, took questions from Midtown KC Now members last week via Zoom. The organization, formerly MainCor, runs a community improvement district along Main and Broadway, and promotes the overall interests of the area. Some context, Platt, 35, came here in early December after serving as city manager of Jersey City,…
Another Key Corner Acquired Along Streetcar Extension Route
By Kevin Collison Another key corner along the planned Main Street streetcar route at 31st street has been acquired by a developer including the 134 year-old Jeserich building and an adjacent building housing Lufti’s Fried Fish. An entity controlled by PriceMgmtCo, 31 Main LLC, has bought the half-dozen properties northeast of 31st and Main where…
Big Development Site Along Planned Streetcar Extension Hits Market
By Kevin Collison A 5.4-acre site that includes the former Conklin Fangman car dealership has hit the market, a huge development opportunity along the planned Main Street extension of the streetcar from downtown to UMKC. “It’s an incredibly valuable piece of property,” said Kevin Klinkenberg, executive director of Midtown KC Now. “For the right developer,…
Ped/Bike Bridge Linking Downtown to Riverfront to Begin Work This Year
(Updated April 14: The planned pedestrian/bicycle bridge between the River Market and Berkley Riverfront Park hit a snag today following a decision by a joint City Council committee to recommend removing its full funding from this year’s capital improvement budget. The city had been expected to approve $5.25 million to build the project. About $750,000…
Streetcar Land Rush Rolling, Apartment Plan Would Keep Iconic Katz Drug
By Kevin Collison The iconic Katz Drug Store at Westport Road and Main would be saved as the centerpiece of a 192-unit apartment project proposed by a St. Louis firm, the latest streetcar-related development announcement on Main. Lux Living wants to build the six-story apartment project on the surface parking lot behind the historic building…