Papa Keno’s New Crossroads Pizzeria Savors Backdoor Success
By Kevin Collison The Crossroads newest pizzeria is a new spin on a 20 year-old franchise that started in old Overland Park. Papa Keno’s opened in October in the former Snow & Co. space at 1815 Wyandotte, and aside from causing nearby Pizzabella some billboard indigestion, it’s been great fun so far for its owner,…
Our 10 Stories From 2017 We Think You Should Read (Or Read Again)
Like any publication, this magazine cranks out content all year long. Every article we post resonates with us, but we each have our favorites — the pieces we really, really, really hope find their way to you. Here are our 10 staff picks of stories from 2017 we think you should read and watch — if you didn’t the first time…
Hello Atelier | Crafting Activism
Nedra Bonds is a quilter, dollmaker and activist. She makes a statement – and generates change – using the non-confrontational medium of textiles. As you’ll hear in this episode, Nedra isn’t afraid of, well, anything. She isn’t afraid to speak out against an injustice. She isn’t afraid to explore her world, and she isn’t afraid…
Show Me | Season 3 Preview
Our first season of Show Me introduced you to up-and-coming entrepreneurs in Kansas City brimming with local pride and national ambition. Our second season came back with four new stories about the movers and shakers who are shaping our great city. Now in it’s third season, Show Me is bigger than ever with nationally and internationally-known names, products, and personalities…
Kemper Arena Developer Picks Up Pieces After Mosaic Naming Rights Deal Falls Apart
By Kevin Collison The developer transforming the former Kemper Arena into a massive amateur sports complex shrugged of the loss of his naming rights partner Wednesday, saying it won’t interfere with completing the $39 million endeavor. “We knew ahead of time that Mosaic (Life Care) was going to make an announcement, but we couldn’t say…
Pawn & Pint Celebrates Festivus & Other Weekend Possibilities
Made in Kansas City, a local retailer, has opened a coffee shop with a dash of retail inside. The Made in KC Cafe (1114 Baltimore Ave.) debuted last week. It’s using Messenger Coffee for espresso and plans to rotate other coffees behind the bar. On the weekends, it’s offering a special — Cafe au Oui — a cereal milk latte, wherein…
Origin Story: Music Edition | Radar State
[FLEX-CONTENT] [FLEX-CONTENT] [FLEX-CONTENT] [FLEX-CONTENT] [FLEX-CONTENT] [FLEX-CONTENT] — Our popular series Origin Story gets a musical twist each Thursday in December here on Flatland. Got an idea for an Origin Story? Drop us a line on Facebook or Twitter @FlatlandKC.
Plexpod Acquires Think Big Coworking’s Downtown Office Space
By Kevin Collison Plexpod has acquired the Think Big Coworking operation at 1712 Main St., the latest development in the fast-growing downtown shared-office space market. Think Big Partners opened its co-working space in the historic Globe Storage and Transfer Co. Building at 1712 Main in 2015. The concept was to provide entrepreneurs, contractors and start-ups…
My 5 | Savannah Northcraft
My 5 is a series wherein Flatland asks someone to show us five items from their life that help them do their job or tell their story. It’s a chance to learn more about the people in our community by getting a peek at what’s in their drawers, kitchens, briefcases, or desks. In the latest…
Proposed Streetcar Extension Lures New Main Street Investments in Midtown
By Kevin Collison The 11-story former Netherlands Hotel is slated to be redeveloped into 110 apartments, part of a Main Street development surge linked to the planned streetcar extension. The decrepit Netherlands at 3835 Main and its neighbor, the former Monarch Storage building at 3829 Main, are part of a more than $30 million redevelopment…
Just This
Kansas City Public Schools District Superintendent Mark Bedell has embraced a three-pronged approach to reduce suspensions and counteract ineffective discipline measures. It involves the implementation of restorative justice, the use of meditation, and a focus on growing the district’s mentorship program. Take Note recently examined restorative justice. In this report, we take a look at…
Tap List | JAS Metalworks & The Beer Year in Review
The bottle openers that Jared Schmid of JAS Metalworks forges from mild steel have an old-school, blue-collar feel to them. Whether opening a yard beer or a craft beer bomber, Schmid’s openers hark back to a time when working with tools was more commonplace. Schmid, who formerly worked at Boulevard Brewing for 10 years in…
Kemper Contemporary Museum Closes Crossroads Gallery After Nine-Year Run
By Kevin Collison The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art has closed its gallery in the Crossroads Arts District after a nine-year run, saying it wants to focus its resources on its main operation at 4420 Warwick. The Kemper at the Crossroads opened in 2008 at the high-profile corner of 19th and Baltimore in space formerly…
Whatever Happened to Cake Box…And Those Other Restaurants?
We’ve been telling the stories of restaurants from the past this year, diving into a trio of burger shacks: Smaks, Wimpey’s, and the Nu-Way Drive-In. It’s all part of our curiousKC series, wherein local readers, viewers and listeners get the chance to ask those burning questions about where we live. [FLEX-CONTENT] Today’s trio of questions…
Gallerie–phase 2
Corner of 27th, Warwick and McGee streets (Union Hill) | 50 apartment units and 10 townhouses | Cost: $12 million | Architect: Draw (Kansas City) | Expected start of construction, Spring 2018