Civic Affairs
Finalists Named in Prestigious ULI East Village Design Competition, Ballpark in Mix
By Kevin Collison Four teams of graduate students from top universities throughout North America are finalists for a prestigious design competition that tasked contestants with proposing concepts to redevelop the East Village area of downtown. Two of the submissions include locating a ballpark on the redevelopment site that’s been frequently mentioned as a top candidate…
MoDOT O’Neil Bridge Design Slammed as ‘Hunk of Concrete’
By Kevin Collison When it comes to the new design for replacing the downtown Buck O’Neil Bridge, mighty MoDOT has struck out, at least on social media. While the alignment and basic description of the $220 million replacement project was publicized a year ago, it took MoDOT’s release of architectural renderings and a virtual flyover this…
New City Manager Talks About Police, Streetcar Development and Ballpark
Brian Platt, the new city manager, took questions from Midtown KC Now members last week via Zoom. The organization, formerly MainCor, runs a community improvement district along Main and Broadway, and promotes the overall interests of the area. Some context, Platt, 35, came here in early December after serving as city manager of Jersey City,…
Children’s Opens Research Tower, Continuing Hospital Hill Economic Boom
By Kevin Collison Today’s opening of the nine-story building housing the Children’s Mercy Research Institute is the latest in a series of recent major investments galvanizing both the Hospital Hill district and nearby environs, particularly Troost Avenue. The tower will provide space for cutting edge research in diagnosing and treating complex childhood diseases, and joins…
Bartle Hall Warming Shelter Seeks Volunteers, Donations
The city’s temporary overnight homeless shelter at Bartle Hall, which has hosted up to 400 people escaping the subzero cold this week, has established a web page to make it easier for those wanting to volunteer and/or make a donation. The Scott Eicke Warming Center, named after a homeless man who died from exposure at…