Development
VanTrust Assumes Lead Role On East Village, Acquires Key Properties in Stalled Downtown KC Redevelopment Area
By Kevin Collison Almost four years after becoming co-developer of the planned East Village redevelopment, VanTrust Real Estate has negotiated a new lease deal with the city that puts it fully in charge of moving the floundering project forward. And while VanTrust has no immediate plans for construction in the eight-block downtown redevelopment area northeast…
Flashcube Building Receives Nod for Tax Incentives, $50M Downtown Kansas City Apartment Project
By Kevin Collison The $50 million redevelopment plan for the reflective glass-clad building known as the Flashcube received critical tax incentives to move forward today, the latest project on the downtown Kansas City streetcar line. The nine-story building at 720 Main St. is being redeveloped by Worcester Investments into 184 apartments and 35,800 square-feet of…
Downtown Kansas City Office Vacancy Drop Leads Nation Thanks to Conversions and New Tenants
By Kevin Collison Downtown Kansas City leads the nation these days reducing its office vacancy rate, but not because it’s returning to its heyday as the region’s business center. The drop is primarily due to the conversion of many older, obsolete office buildings into apartments and hotels as downtown has transitioned to a mixed-use, ‘live,…
KC Preservationists Pursue Campaign to Document Westport Architecture as Development Pressure Mounts
By Kevin Collison New projects in the works for historic Westport are prompting a grassroots effort to survey the district’s buildings to provide a solid planning base for future development decisions. Plans for two apartment projects and a hotel are being reviewed at City Hall for a district that’s been popular destination since before Kansas…
Design for New Downtown YMCA Would Keep Lyric Facade
By Kevin Collison Backers of a planned Downtown YMCA that would incorporate the facade of the historic Lyric Theater as part of the $30 million project hope to wrap up fundraising this summer. David Byrd, CEO of the YMCA, told the Downtown Council board Thursday that $21 million has been raised and anticipated the remaining…