Civic Affairs
Downtown Council Office Summit Offers Overview of Potential Projects
By Kevin Collison Call it a SimCity for grownups. Last week’s Downtown Council office summit not only provided expert opinion on where the downtown Kansas City office market may be heading over the next few years, but laid out potential office development sites ranging from the Berkley Riverfront to Washington Square. To summarize, the consensus…
State Task Force Proposes Major Cuts and Restrictions to Historic Tax Credit Program
By Kevin Collison A task force established by Gov. Greitens to examine state tax credit policy has returned with recommendations that preservationists say would substantially cut the historic tax credit program and make it much more difficult to utilize The task force is recommending the historic tax credit program be lumped together with the brownfield…
New Renderings of Planned Convention Hotel Show Transformation of Current Downtown Dead Zone
By Kevin Collison Developer Mike Burke recently showed off the latest renderings of the planned 800-room Loews Kansas City Convention Center Hotel, a project that will replace a bland office building and parking lot with a 21-story glass tower. The project, which is expected to begin construction in October with completion anticipated in late 2019…
Summit to Examine Missing Ingredient in Downtown Kansas City’s Revival: Private Sector Jobs
By Kevin Collison Downtown Kansas City has experienced a strong rebound over the past 15 years with thousands of new residents and scores more entertainment venues, restaurants and bars. What’s been missing in its renaissance are businesses willing to locate their offices and employees there. This Wednesday, the Downtown Council is hosting a Downtown KC…
Civic Leader Warren Erdman Speaks Out on UMKC Downtown Conservatory Funding Veto: ‘I Played Every Card We Had’
By Kevin Collison Warren Erdman, the leader of the local effort to obtain state money for the proposed UMKC Downtown Conservatory, warned today that any alternative funding plan in response to the Gov. Greitens’ veto last week should not place a “severe” strain on UMKC. “The governor decided not to go in that direction, and…