Civic Affairs
Downtown Homeless Shelter On Brink of Closure
(Editor’s note: This article originally was posted on the Flatland KC website) By Mike Sherry People who work to eliminate homelessness say the service network is like a chain–if one link fails, the whole system breaks. It is of little value, for instance, to walk somebody back from a psychotic episode or an alcohol bender…
New Loews Key to Landing Events With Over 100K Attendees So Far
By Kevin Collison The new Loews Kansas City Convention Hotel scheduled to open April 2 already is beginning to pay off, playing a key role in landing conventions totaling more than 100,000 people over the next eight years. At its recent Annual Tourism Outlook event, Visit KC reported this year alone, the new 800-room Loews…
Mayor Wants Barney Allis Plaza to Be Downtown ‘Focal Point’
By Kevin Collison City officials want a solid proposal to revive the forlorn Barney Allis Plaza and its crumbling garage by this summer, saying the prominent public space should become the “coolest backyard ever.” At a public presentation at Bartle Hall last week where people were invited to offer ideas about the future of the…
Mayor Announces Panel to Study Local Police Control, Gun Violence
(Editor’s note, updated May 13. Mayor Quinton Lucas has announced his appointments to the study group on police local control and gun violence established by the City Council in February. “Two more Kansas Citians lost their lives to gun violence last night, surpassing the horrific number of murders by this point in 2019,” Lucas said…
Mattie Rhodes Plans New Westside Cultural Center
By Kevin Collison The Mattie Rhodes Cultural Center is nearing the completion of a fundraising campaign to build a new facility on downtown’s Westside at 17th and Jarboe. The $3.4 million endeavor will allow the 126 year-old Hispanic organization to consolidate and expand its classroom, meeting and gallery space, and provide more services to both…