CitySceneKC
Crossroads Refuses to Suffer ‘Clever Fools’ Gladly
By Kevin Collison A leafleting campaign by a Mission company that brags about its “unique style of guerrilla marketing” has papered the Crossroads Arts District to the point City Hall is being asked to prepare vandalism charges. “What a burden to lay this upon the urban community when we’re already dealing with so many relevant…
Grand Place Envisions Role as Major Art Hub for Crossroads
By Kevin Collison Grand Place, the $98 million redevelopment of the historic Kansas City Star building, has gotten creative addressing cost overruns by embracing the arts as a big part of the project’s identity. In a successful bid last week to obtain $2.4 million in sales tax breaks, the developer pledged to commission public art…
Proposal Would Repurpose Shipping Containers for Affordable Micro Apartments
(Editor’s note: The City Council approved the plan at its July 23 meeting) By Kevin Collison Kansas City developer Paul Nagaoka has traveled the world pursuing his vision of building affordable apartment projects with big steel shipping containers to create cozy residences. “This is my greatest passion, this is the whole focus of what I see…
Proposed $310M Development Would Add Housing, Hotel, Office Tower to Crossroads
(Updated Aug. 20, 2021: The Planned Industrial Expansion Authority approved a cooperative agreement with the city Thursday to accept four parcels totaling about a half-acre of city surplus property at the location along the Main Street viaduct where the proposed Podium office and hotel project would be built. While the city transfer agreement does not…
Historic Knickerbocker Coming Down After 40-Year Neighborhood Fight
By Kevin Collison The demolition of the historic Knickerbocker apartments, a premier address a century ago, is underway, ending a 40-year preservation struggle between its Midtown neighborhood and owner Kansas City Life. Fencing is up around the three-story buildings at 501-535 Knickerbocker Place a block west of Broadway and a firm hired by KC Life…