Civic Affairs
Commentary: Looking Ahead to 2022
COMMENTARY By Kevin Collison A Tweet from Mayor Lucas over the New Year weekend inviting thoughts and questions about 2022 pushed my ambivalence off the fence about writing a beginning of the year opinion column. We hear plenty this time of year from pundits musing about the nation and the world, but since hyper-local greater…
Oak Tower may be Restored to Original 1920s Grandeur
By Kevin Collison A towering downtown architectural treasure that’s been hidden by cement stucco since 1974 may be restored to its Gothic glory by a Lawrence developer. The 28-story Oak Tower near City Hall was bought by Bill Schultheis a year ago, and he’s pursuing a renovation plan that would restore its original terra cotta exterior…
Crossroads Community Association Celebrates 20 Years Creating a Neighborhood
Editor’s note: This article originally was published March 16, 2021) By Kevin Collison When the Crossroads Community Association began 20 years ago, its sprawling 90-block turf of old, brick commercial buildings sandwiched between downtown and Crown Center was facing an identity crisis. The area was finishing its pioneering phase that began in 1985 when artist…
Liberty Street Green Space Completes First Year in West Bottoms
By Kevin Collison One of greater downtown’s newer “parks” recently celebrated a quiet first anniversary, except for the rumbling trucks overhead. It’s called the Liberty Street Green Space and it replaces a grubby, former no-man’s land beneath the I-670 overpass in the West Bottoms with decorative pavers, walking trails and landscaping. The project was part…
Converting O’Neil Bridge to Linear Park ‘Top Priority’ for City Officials
(Editor’s note, updated March 3: The city announced today it is issuing a request for proposals/qualifications to study the reuse of the existing Buck O’Neil Bridge. The study will be done by the City of Kansas City, Jackson County and Clay County using $300,000 from the Missouri Department of Transportation. “The study will gather public…