Big Redevelopment Plan By Barney Allis Plaza Gets Bigger
By Kevin Collison A major redevelopment project that will transform a block bordering Barney Allis Plaza has bumped up its office component by 43 percent, responding to a downtown market that developers believe is ripe for new space. The project planned by Platform Ventures originally called for 70,000 square feet of office, but now has…
Why is Human Interaction Important?
DuRon believes we’re all much more alike than we are similar, and if we could swap walking for driving and engage in more dialogue with our neighbors, we’d all come to that conclusion, too. Every Tuesday and Thursday through spring of 2019, Flatland will share stories of Kansas City’s neighbors. Find them online here and on…
Flatland Favorites: Editor’s Edition
I haven’t been the digital managing editor at Kansas City PBS for very long, but there’s a reason why I pursued this job. I’m at home in the heartland. It’s where I’m from. People understand me here. Below are my favorite stories from Flatland in 2018 that reflect my love of America’s #flatland, keeping in…
Downtown Dazzle Wraps Up Holidays with New Year’s Eve Events
The following article was produced and paid for by Downtown Dazzle: Downtown Dazzle is wrapping up its fifth consecutive year of connecting guests to all of the holiday fun throughout downtown’s vibrant neighborhoods and districts. After handing out nearly 5,000 Dazzling Deals Booklets (all free) with more than 80 special offers from downtown businesses, hosting…
Nordstrom Design Breaks Plaza Tradition, Wins Plan Commission Support
By Kevin Collison The Country Club Plaza could have a very contemporary, new west edge where Nichols Road meets Jefferson Street following the endorsement this week of the design proposed for the planned Nordstrom department store. The City Plan Commission unanimously backed the style of the 122,000 square-foot store which was described by the co-owner…
Celebrating Kansas City And All Its Traditions (From Here and Abroad)
For some, it is art. For others, it is food and music. The common thread, however, is that these activities are touchstones for transplants to the Kansas City area — some of whom arrived from halfway around the world as refugees from violent conflict and political turmoil. The holiday season is a time to celebrate…
Flatland Favorites: curiousKC Edition
Jonathan Bender, food content editor Jumping on E-Scooters on The Fly? Think Twice As a dad, I tell people to slow down more than I ever expected. A small part of me always worries when I see someone hopping on an electric scooter. They go faster than you think. The streets are uneven. Where’s your…
Chicago Developer Proposes $90 Million Kimpton Hotel Project at 45th and Main
By Kevin Collison A $90 million redevelopment plan that would transform an aging Holiday Inn at 45th and Main into a 275-room luxury Kimpton Hotel is in the works. The project is being pursued by the Janko Group from suburban Chicago. It’s design was endorsed this week by the City Plan Commission. “The driver of this…
It’s Time We Stopped Shaming Patrick Mahomes For Loving Ketchup
I never thought we’d be fighting about ketchup for a month. But here we are, and the world has stopped revolving because Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, likes to arm curl his ketchup onto a bowl of macaroni and cheese. People assume all the time that I’m judging them for what…
What Are You Most Proud Of?
Melissa is 27 months sober and has never felt better. Her mind is more clear and she’s more focused. She says she never realized how much time and energy was spent around alcohol, but now that it’s out of her life, she’s not looking back. Every Tuesday and Thursday through spring of 2019, Flatland will…
BBQ Duck Tacos, Christmas Sangria & Other Weekend Possibilities
Say it with me. BBQ. Duck. Tacos. Mission Taco has opened its second area location at 5060 Main St. (the original is in the Crossroads at 409 E. 18th St.). The drinks range from Tiki (rum-fueled, tropical concoctions) to mezcal and tequila cocktails. The food is just as playful with carne asada on top of…
Lawrence’s LK Ultra Ushers in a New Generation of Punk
LK Ultra is the most punk band in Lawrence, Kansas. Yes, Young Bull is louder, and yes, Stiff Middle Fingers is faster. But when it comes to the core principles that make a punk band punk, LK Ultra checks nearly every box. Their Instagram bio describes LK Ultra as an “indigenous-fronted queer indie rock band.”…
Developer Plans 248-Unit Apartment Project on Troost Near Hospital Hill
By Kevin Collison Another big apartment project is in the works for Troost Avenue near Hospital Hill, a 248-unit development at the southeast corner of 25th Street that would take up an entire city block. The $40 million development planned by GSSW Real Estate Investments of Dallas was endorsed by the City Plan Commission Tuesday….
Educators And Execs Welcome Workforce Development Collaboration
“Our students are not widgets!” Certainly that is the sentiment of educators who see business involvement in schools as “putting in orders” for workers. Yet that refrain might be less common in an era when the whole notion of career and technical education is evolving way beyond shop class. Maybe that’s because each side understands…