Kevin Collison
Publisher
Flatland contributor Kevin Collison is the founder of CityScene KC, an online source for downtown news and issues.
Stories by Kevin Collison
Downtown Apartment Life During Covid, Has Somebody Sneezed in that Elevator?
By Kevin Collison John Pryor has it better than many dealing with the unique living challenges posed for downtown apartment dwellers during the current Covid-19 crisis. “It’s gives us a little more cabin fever,” said the Two Light resident and downtown business owner. “The apartments are extremely nice, but small for a family with a…
Port KC Issues Creative Challenge for Derelict Riverfront Wharf
By Kevin Collison When things got tough for artists during the Depression, Washington hired many to paint murals and take photographs through the New Deal’s Public Works of Arts Project. Now, Jon Stephens, president and CEO of Port KC, is pursuing a similar idea, albeit on a much smaller scale. He’s inviting local artists struggling…
Downtown Homeless Agencies Team to Serve Meals Despite Flooding and Virus Woes
By Kevin Collison First, a broken water pipe in early February forced NourishKC out of its dining room where it served lunch for up to 425 homeless and poor people daily. The agency found temporary refuge with Morning Glory Ministries, which provides breakfast to about 150 homeless each morning at the community center of Cathedral…
New Garment District Concert Series Planned–After Virus Fears Calm
A new monthly concert series at Garment District Place that will feature local musicians and students from the Crossroads Preparatory Academy is in the works once the all-clear is given for public health restrictions prompted by the coronavirus endemic. Organizers of the “Garment District Grooves” concert series had hoped to begin in April, but the…
Revised Waddell & Reed HQ Design Gets Thumbs Down from Neighborhood
By Kevin Collison The designer of the Waddell & Reed headquarters project has returned to the city with a revised plan that adds a small commercial space to the southeast corner of the building in the works for 1400 Baltimore. But it’s not enough for critics who note the project, as previously designed, offered only…
Lightwell Lands Two Tech Tenants
The lightwell office tower, formerly City Center Square, has landed two tech-oriented tenants: the Kansas City Tech Council and PayIt, a digital payment platform founded locally in 2013. PayIt is relocating from 1812 Broadway and plans to lease 23,000 square feet this June in the 30-story building currently being renovated at 12th and Main. The…
New O’Neil Bridge Still May See Occasional Backups for I-35 Traffic
(Updated Feb. 5, 2021. A joint venture that includes Massman Co., Clarkson Construction Co. and HNTB Corp. has been selected to build the replacement Buck O’Neil Bridge, the Missouri Department of Transportation announced this week. Work on the $220 million project will begin this fall and is expected to be completed by late fall of…
Opus Scraps Crossroads Apartment Plan, Faultless Building Back on Market
By Kevin Collison Plans have been scrapped for a $52 million apartment project first proposed three years ago by Opus Development that would have replaced the long-vacant Faultless Linen building at 1923 Broadway. Opus won approval from the city for the 228-unit apartment project in 2017, but never moved forward with the plan. A company…
Barney Allis Plaza Rebuild Estimate $61.7M, Anticipated Completion Fall 2022
By Kevin Collison The city review for rebuilding Barney Allis Plaza and its underground garage tentatively has chosen a $61.7 million option that would lower the plaza to street level and build a 400-space garage beneath it. William Crandall of CBC Real Estate Group, the managing principal hired by the city for the proposed reconstruction,…
Biggest Apartment Project to Date in Troost Revival Now Pre-Leasing
The biggest apartment development to date in the Hospital Hill area of Troost Avenue, 2501 Beacon Hill, has begun pre-leasing and is expected to accept its first residents in July. The 249-unit apartment project occupies a full block southeast of 25th and Troost and is managed by NorthPoint Development. Work on the $40 million development…