Civic Affairs
Council Approves Affordable Housing Set-Aside, Offers Developers Olive Branch
By Kevin Collison The City Council approved an affordable housing set-aside mandate for projects receiving tax incentives Thursday, but also offered an olive branch to developers who warn it could sabotage further investment in the city. The ordinance by Councilwoman Melissa Robinson will require developers who receive tax incentives such as property tax abatements and…
Monarchs 21st C Reboot Honors Past and Helps Museum’s Future
By Kevin Collison While the new Kansas City Monarchs reboot is a salute to the Negro Leagues storied past, it also should yield significant revenues for the future of its signature museum at the 18th & Vine Historic District. The announcement the former T-Bones minor league ball club will be called the Kansas City Monarchs…
River Market Project Proceeds Amid Concerns Over Affordable Housing Proposal
By Kevin Collison The developer of a planned 250-unit apartment project in the River Market is worried an affordable housing proposal now before the City Council could harm its prospects for success. “We’re concerned about the implications of that ordinance in terms of meeting the demands of the market and the impact on the economics…
Downtown Resident Survey Seeks Ideas to Improve Quality of Life
Downtown residents have their first opportunity since 2013 to voice their opinions on what they like and dislike about downtown living, and what they want to see in the future in a new online survey underway. The Downtown Council is seeking answers about everything from the quality of sidewalks and landscaping to what is missing…
East Village Chosen for ULI International Student Design Competition
By Kevin Collison The East Village, the biggest undeveloped tract inside the Downtown Loop, is the testing ground for hundreds of graduate students from around the world competing in this year’s ULI/Gerald D. Hines Student Urban Design Competition. The Urban Land Institute, the nation’s premier land planning and development association, selected Kansas City for the…