A worker carries a clearance sale sign on the Country Club Plaza.

Country Club Plaza Confronted with Dozens of Vacant Shops

Prospective new owners of the Country Club Plaza would be buying an iconic shopping district with dozens of vacancies. Some see open spaces as opportunities.

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Clock Ticking for Potential Steamboat Arabia Departure

By Kevin Collison The City Market is looking for proposals for the space now occupied by the Steamboat Arabia Museum, but its skipper says he’s not ready to shove off yet. “We have three years to figure it out, we don’t have a Plan B,” said David Hawley, the owner of the museum chock-full of…

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A rendering of the Steamboat Arabia on the Missouri River.

Clock Ticks for Potential Steamboat Arabia Museum Departure

The City Market is looking for proposals for the space now occupied by the Steamboat Arabia Museum, but its skipper says he’s not ready to shove off yet.

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Nick Haines

Nick’s Picks | Government Shutdown, United Government Debate and Streetcar Expansion

The week ahead in Kansas City includes a possible federal government shutdown, a possible United Government breakup and talk of streetcar expansion.

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Paris Postcard: Rue Cler Shows the Way to a Better Plaza

By Kevin Collison Rue Cler is one of the many bustling market streets in Paris. Flower stalls spill out onto the sidewalk, cafés offer front row seats for people watching and merchants busy themselves arranging their shop window displays to catch the eyes of passersby. And the busy cobblestone street is shared by pedestrians and…

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A group of anti-nuke activists gather on the sidewalk.

Anti-Nuclear Activist Goes on Trial Amid the Fallout of Oppenheimer’s Legacy

“At time zero the first thing I noticed was that although facing away from ground zero, it felt like someone had slapped my face: it was of course the heat radiation from a most successful test.” – Hugh Richards, Ph.D., “Through Los Alamos, 1945: Memoirs of a Nuclear Physicist” Last month, Ann Suellentrop, 71, stood…

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The entrance to Rye on the Country Club Plaza.

Country Club Plaza Diners Seek More Local Flavors

The prospect of new owners for the Country Club Plaza has sparked hope the iconic shopping district may soon offer more local flavor in its mix of restaurants.

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Cascade Luxury Hotel and Strang Chef Collective Open at Plaza

By Kevin Collison The Cascade luxury boutique hotel opened Wednesday at the Country Club Plaza, and along with the new Strang Chef Collective inside, it’s considered a $115 million vote of confidence in the district’s future. “We’re excited about the investments being made,” said developer Joe Morrison, president of Capital Management. “This is the most…

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A crowd surrounding a lit Christmas tree at Legends.

Weekend Possibilities | Greatest Show on Earth, Christmas Tree Lighting

There’s a Christmas tree lighting Saturday night. This weekend also brings Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus to town and a new fall festival.

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The Country Club Plaza with the fountain at Mill Creek Park in the foreground.

Nichols’ Folly: A Century of the Country Club Plaza

The Country Club Plaza, as it marks its centennial, is at a crossroads. J.C. Nichols’ iconic district is seen both as private property and public trust.

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Ride KC's River Market MAX rolls out of the transit station in Waldo on March 14, 2023.

Kansas City Votes ‘Yes’ on Public Bus Funding by Renewing Sales Tax for Another Decade

Kansas City voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved renewing a local sales tax to fund public transit for the next decade.

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Plan for 12th and Broadway Calls for Apartments, HQ Expansion

(Editor’s note: This article originally was published April 13, 2023) By Kevin Collison The developer of city-owned property at 12th and Broadway wants to build a 13-story apartment building and ultimately expand the former Kansas City Southern headquarters, but the timing relies on the proposed reconstruction of Barney Allis Plaza. The proposal by what’s now…

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North Kansas City monument sign at sunrise.

Tap List | North Kansas City Introduces New Fall Fest

Fourteen local breweries will be featured at the first annual North Kansas City Fall Fest on Saturday.

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The Speak UP program features photos of those lost to suicide.

Grieving Parents Turning Tragedy of Suicide into Hope 

Parents of children who have died by suicide have banded together to help dramatically reduce such tragedies in the Blue Valley School District.

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Boutique Hotel Plan Returns for Historic Building on Grand

(Editor’s note: This article originally was posted May 15, 2023) By Kevin Collison A proposal to restore the historic Mason Building at 1110 Grand and reopen it as a 35-room boutique hotel has returned, led by a developer with a similar hotel venture in Lincoln, Neb. Nicholas Castaneda, a principal with the 49-room Kindler Hotel…

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