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
Quality Hill Glowing Again Thanks to Public-Private Partnership
By Kevin Collison The Quality Hill neighborhood finally has its old-fashioned street lamps in action again thanks to a partnership between the city and a private fundraising effort led by the Downtown Council. The leafy neighborhood of brick homes and apartments on the west side of downtown had been increasingly in the dark as is…
Clubhouse Experience to Tee Off at Wallstreet Tower Plaza in September
By Kevin Collison A new “e-tainment” concept called The Clubhouse Experience featuring Topgolf Swing Suites, shuffleboard courts and bistro dining is scheduled to open next month at the WallStreet Tower condo building. The entertainment and food and beverage concept is planned for the sunken plaza level of the WallStreet, a former 1970s office tower at…
South Dakota Developer Plans Six-Story Hotel in Garment District
By Kevin Collison A 149-room hotel is planned for a parking lot at Ninth and Wyandotte, next door to the historic Savoy Hotel which reopened last year as a 21C Museum Hotel. Lloyd Cos. of Sioux Falls, SD, is planning the $28 million, six-story project, its first venture into the Kansas City market. Luke Jessen,…
Rochester Brewing Serving Coffee, Beer on Tap Later This Month
By Kevin Collison Rochester Brewing and Coffee Roasting has the coffee part of its name going at 2129 Washington St. and plans to start pouring beer by the end of the month. The latest addition to the downtown microbrewery and coffee house scene opened July 10 in the West Crossroads serving coffee drinks and is…
Homeroom Health Adds Pediatric Care to Troost Revival
By Kevin Collison The historic Wonder building at 30th and Troost is rounding out its revival with a pediatric clinic aimed at providing comprehensive health care to families and young people with or without insurance. Homeroom Health will provide medical, dental and psychological care to clients ranging from infants to young adults in a 5,500…
In Memoriam: Erin Langhofer
Three young men, one with a loaded 9 mm handgun shoved in his sweatpants pocket, came to First Friday to “meet friends and hang out”, according to police. A young woman from Overland Park, a therapist working with victims of domestic violence at the Rose Brooks Center, visited First Friday to enjoy an event that…
Mayor Quinton Lucas Lays Out Goals
Editor’s note: This guest commentary appeared originally in The Kansas City Star, it is reposted with the permission of the author. By Mayor Quinton Lucas Kansas City has a lot about which to be proud. We have resurgent downtown and Crossroads districts, unimaginable a decade ago. Despite early hiccups, construction on the new Kansas City…
More ‘Wonder’ on Troost, New Restaurant Opening
By Kevin Collison The Wonder Shops + Flats redevelopment at 30th and Troost is almost fully leased eight months after opening, evidence the nascent revival along that stretch of Troost Avenue is showing no sign of slowing. Combine, a joint venture between Pizza 51 and the Milwaukee Delicatessen, is opening a 5,000 square-foot restaurant and…
Kimpton Wins City Incentives, $95M Luxury Hotel Plans 2021 Opening
(Updated July 10, 2020. Plans to redevelop the Holiday Inn at 45th and Main into a luxury Kimpton Hotel have fallen through. Jim Purinton, managing director of Chicago-based Janko Group, said the national meltdown in the hospitality market caused by the Covid-19 crisis made it impossible to arrange private financing for the proposed $95 million…
Barrel of the Bottoms Rolls Out Podcasts and Laughs
By Kevin Collison Barrel of the Bottoms is a recording studio with a sense of humor on the side. Now in its second year, the venture in the historic Hobbs building offers space for creatives to write and record, while doubling as a comedy club with weekly open improv sessions for aspiring amateurs and professional…