West Bottoms Flats Starting Soon, First Major Renovation Project in Historic Warehouse District
By Kevin Collison Construction is expected to begin soon on the $68 million West Bottoms Flats apartment development, the first major renovation project in the downtown warehouse district that fueled Kansas City’s economic growth in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. MCM Company plans to renovate three historic buildings on the north side of…
Recipe | America’s Test Kitchen’s Grilled Chicken Wings
To take this barroom classic from the fryer to the grill we had to figure out how to handle the fat and connective tissue from the wings, which creates a problem as it drips into the fire. [FLEX-CONTENT] To get crisp, well-rendered chicken wings with lightly charred skin, succulent, smoky meat and minimal flare-ups, we…
Historic Norman School Reopens as 61-Unit Apartment Development
By Kevin Collison The historic Norman School, a prominent stone landmark that overlooks Southwest Trafficway as it approaches downtown, has reopened as a 61-unit apartment project following a $14 million renovation. The school started as a two-room wood building in 1901 and was named after the school board president at the time, Joseph Norman. In…
The Business of Donuts & Other Weekend Possibilities
Ever wanted to open a donut shop? Ever eaten a donut? All you needed was to answer yes to one of those questions and you’re in for The Business of Donuts. The latest discussion from Square One Small Business Services and the Mid-Continent Public Library dives into what it takes to sling donuts in the…
Sympathetic Vibrations | Setting the Record Straight
For many musicians, writing and performing music for the public is a privilege. And though artists rights typically don’t factor into the general perception of being a kick-ass rocker, that doesn’t mean those rights should be ignored. But safeguarding those rights can often be more difficult for female artists. In my time as a practicing…
Reimagining Schools at Maker Faire Kansas City
Organizers call Maker Faire the Greatest Show (And Tell) on Earth, and Kansas City held its eighth annual version of the international event at Union Station in June. The two-day faire drew crowds to celebrate all things creative — from science to art and anything in between. As part of our Take Note education project,…
New 21c Museum Hotel Kansas City Wraps Hospitality Around Art
(Updated July 31: AccorHotels, a French firm, has acquired 21cMuseum Hotels, paying $51 million to purchase 85 percent of the firm. 21c founders Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson will retain a 15 percent ownership share. AccorHotels owns 4,000 hotels throughout the world making it the largest hotel group outside the United States.) By Kevin…
Work in Progress | The Painter
With every brush stroke, Warren “Stylez” Harvey combats the anxiety and self doubt he’s dealt with since childhood. Through his artwork, he’s able to embrace the feelings that once held him back. “I’m grateful for my fear,” he said. “It has brought me to understand who I am. I am light. I am consciousness. I’m a…
Local Pig Relocating to City Market, Taking Former Winslow BBQ Space
The Local Pig & Pigwich is leaving the East Bottoms for the former Winslow BBQ space at 20 E. Fifth St. in the City Market with an opening expected in mid-October. After six years at 2618 Guinotte Ave., co-owners Alex Pope and Matt Kafka began exploring ways to expand Pigwich, a stationary food truck adjacent…
Tap List | Double Shift Turns Three
Bryan Stewart pauses in the middle of a story about a beer made with birthday cake to take a delivery early on a weekday afternoon. A farmer from Wellsville, Kansas, is dropping off bags of malt, which he stacks on the wooden tables inside of Double Shift Brewing Company (412 E. 18th St.). “I want…
Endangered Wheatley-Provident Hospital Saved; Historic Black Institution Being Redeveloped
By Kevin Collison The long-vacant Wheatley-Provident Hospital, an important landmark in the Kansas City African-American community, has been purchased by a development group with plans to renovate it as offices. The deteriorating building at 1826 Forest was the only hospital operated and staffed by black doctors and nurses at a time when healthcare services were…
Best Eat In the House | Anton’s Dry-Aged Steak
Best Eat in the House features dining recommendations from people in and around Kansas City. For this episode, Kasim Hardaway, founder of the TKG Agency, stopped by to chat about the dry-aged, grass-fed beef at Anton’s Taproom (1610 Main St.) We traveled along the Streetcar line to talk to owner Anton Kotar about his space where they cut and…
Moving Out But Struggling to Move On
When it comes to education and work, many foster kids are already at a disadvantage when they enter the system, often coming from families beset by generational poverty. Unfortunately, their circumstances are not much improved once they “age out” of foster care, according to findings in a national survey by the organization Child Trends. The…
The Fire Within Fuels Path From Foster Care to University
Dakota Kinslow completed high school by acing tests. His chaotic home life made it impossible to complete work outside of class. He shuttled between various family members after the court removed him from his home when he was very young. His childhood was marked by witnessing drug use and abuse, and at age 13, he…
The Art of (Signs)
Get lost* in our new photography series, “The Art of (KC)”, where we bring you beautiful, thought-provoking and compelling images of our city and surrounding areas every other week. On Friday, the iconic Western Auto sign at 21st Street and Grand Boulevard was re-lit, thanks to funding from the Western Auto Lofts homeowners’ association. In light of this…