Charlotte Street Launches New Performance Space on Broadway
By Kevin Collison The Charlotte Street Foundation, a cutting-edge downtown cultural fixture for years, has found a permanent space for performance works on Broadway–at least as long as its spared from redevelopment. The venue, called Capsule, opened in early August in space at 1664 Broadway and will close out its first season Aug. 30 with…
The Art of (Fountains)
Our photography series, “The Art of (KC),” brings you beautiful, thought-provoking and compelling images of what makes our city tick. This week, we’re focused on fountains. And it’s no surprise that with more than 200 fountains, Kansas City is appropriately-dubbed “The City of Fountains.” In 1992, the city added a fountain symbol and our “City of Fountains” moniker…
Crossroads Prep Opens Downtown in Historic Thayer Building
By Kevin Collison Six years after launching Crossroads Academy in downtown with 190 elementary students, Dean Johnson and his colleagues welcomed another 190 students, this time at a new high school in the historic Thayer building. Johnson, executive director, said the charter school has grown to 800 students since opening in a former office building…
Hello Atelier | Painting Home
Today’s guest, artist Kathy Liao, paints from a distance. Or, I should say, she paints her subjects from a distance. Kathy’s family is spread about the globe, but she keeps them near with her paintings that portray her memories — her mom watching TV, her grandmother in the kitchen, her dad by the pool —…
Ginger Rogers and The Kansas Governor’s Race
KCPT’s Nick Haines, executive director of public affairs and Week in Review host, picks out the big stories of the week ahead and the interesting stories you may have missed. Orman Remains on The Ballot Independent candidate for Kansas Governor,Greg Orman will stay on the November ballot after a state board rejected a challenge to his…
Linguine With Mussels And Fennel
Don’t be intimidated by mussels; they’re easier to prepare than you think and they make a great weeknight option. The mussels here are cooked in a flavorful broth that becomes a light sauce for the pasta. [FLEX-CONTENT] The addition of fresh tarragon underscores the anise flavor of the sauteed fennel in the sauce. When cleaning…
New Study: Downtown Prime Beneficiary of City Incentive Programs
By Kevin Collison A long-awaited report on how economic development tax incentives are used in Kansas City found the greater downtown area was the primary beneficiary during the 10 years covered by the study. The study presented last week to the Kansas City Council found the city was getting a good return on its investment…
Sympathetic Vibrations | This is How We Do It
Local post-punk band, Emmaline Twist will take a leap forward with the release of its new album, “Dissimulation”, tomorrow. And though the album represents the band’s formal full-length debut, it is by no means the first rodeo for its veteran band members – Meredith McGrade (vocals, guitar) Kristin Conkright (bass) Jonathan Knecht (drums), Krysztof Nemeth…
Sunflower Fest & Other Weekend Possibilities
After more than 50 years operating as a chili parlor, Fritz’s Chili (6737 W. 75th St., Overland Park, Kansas) closes this Friday. It was originally a Dixon’s Chili parlor that opened in 1966. Three years later, the Fritz family purchased the business and later renamed it Fritz’s Chili. The dining room is lined with counter…
Downtown Retail Survivor Bob Jones Shoes ‘Retiring’ After Almost 60 Years
By Kevin Collison The irony of Bob Jones Shoes making it through the tough times only to close now that downtown Kansas City is back on its feet isn’t lost on Rocky Horowitz. “We seen downtown go from bad to good to really good,” he said. “Once the Sprint Center opened and things got all…
Streetcar Authority Picks Outer Lanes of Main Street for Planned Extension
By Kevin Collison The Streetcar Authority plans to run the proposed extension from downtown to UMKC on the outside lanes of Main Street, saying it would provide a more pedestrian-friendly access and greater economic development opportunities. The decision to go outside rather than the alternative of an alignment down the middle of Main Street was…
Tap List | Servaes Brewing Co. Coming to Shawnee
You never know what might happen if you just look around a bit during your commute. Courtney Servaes moved to Shawnee with her family three years ago. She’d regularly drive through downtown on her way to prenatal appointments. And it was on those drives that she discovered a place that felt primed for a neighborhood brewery….
Abandoned or Wrecked: The Numbers Behind the City’s Car Auction
John Baccala stood in a parking lot in the Northeast Industrial District of Kansas City, Missouri, and raised his voice over the auctioneer’s bid calling. “Every one of these cars has a story,” said Baccala, the communication/community liaison for the city’s Neighborhoods and Housing Services Department. Baccala has seen more than 5,200 cars pass through…
Our Daily Nada Opening in River Market, Joins Growing Cafe Scene
By Kevin Collison Our Daily Nada, the anticipated new River Market bookstore and cafe, expects to open this week, featuring the welcoming escape envisioned in its namesake short story by Ernest Hemingway. “We want it to be a comfortable place for people to relax and enjoy a drink,” said co-owner Andrea Baca. “There will be…
Righting A World Turned Upside Down
When Mindy Corporon turned 45 in August 2013, life was good. Really good. She was chief executive officer of Boyer Corporon Wealth Management, the business she co-founded in 2007. She was happily married with two great kids. Her parents lived nearby and were terrific grandparents. When she turned 50 a few weeks ago, almost nothing…