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
Vibrant Crossroads Street Art Scene Subject of New Guided Tour
By Kevin Collison To the uneducated eye, when it comes to the explosion of street art brightening the alleys and buildings in the Crossroad Arts District in recent years it’s hard to know the difference between a “tag,” a “throw up” or a fully realized “burner.” Much less who some of the better artists are…
Designing and Building a Better Kansas City for the Future
GUEST COMMENTARY By Kevin Klinkenberg Coming back to Kansas City has left me excited about the recent changes. The ship has turned, and there’s a strong sense of optimism in the air. But as I noted before, the work is far from done. In fact, we have a long, tough mission ahead of us. The…
Tivoli Cinemas Ends 36-Year Run in Westport
By Kevin Collison Tivoli Cinemas, a destination for regional fans of foreign and independent films since 1983, is closing its doors in Westport this Friday. “The people of Kansas City have been generous beyond anything I could have imagined,” owner Jerry Harrington said in a statement sent to email subscribers and posted on it Facebook…
Kemper Arena, Traders Among Projects Honored by Historic KC
By Kevin Collison The redevelopment of two mid-20th Century buildings in greater downtown you wouldn’t automatically consider historic plus more traditional landmarks such as the old Savoy Hotel were honored recently by Historic Kansas City, the city’s premier preservation organization. The $65 million renovation of the Traders on Grand, a 1962 office building, into the…
Super-Green Apartments ‘Leaping Out of Ground’ in River Market
By Kevin Collison Work has resumed on the 276-unit Second and Delaware apartment development after a lengthy shutdown, its energy-efficient, concrete walls rapidly rising beneath a tower crane visible throughout the River Market. Construction on the $71 million project resumed in November following an 16-month shutdown caused by a contractor dispute. Now, Crossland Construction has…
River Market Lands New Office Tenant
WSP USA, an international engineering firm, has opened a 42-person office in the River Market, encouraging news at a time when downtown officials are striving to attract more private employers. The firm has leased space in the 3Y building at 300 Wyandotte, bringing it close to 90 percent occupancy. The former Populous building opened in…
Union Station Adding Soaring Sculpture to Downtown Skyline
Editor’s Update: Union Station announced over the weekend the “Reflecting Motion” sculpture experienced significant damage during a freak thunderstorm with high winds last Wednesday and is being removed as of today (July 15). The dramatic floating sculpture had been scheduled to be displayed through Labor Day Weekend. Since its opening May 18, it had attracted…
Restoring Residential Density by Embracing the ‘City’ in Kansas City
GUEST COMMENTARY By Kevin Klinkenberg An expert is someone that lives more than 30 miles away, so it’s said. Since I’ve spent about nine years living much more than 30 miles away from Kansas City, I suppose that’s made me a bona fide expert. In my last piece, I wrote about the excitement and positive…
Troost Restaurants Strive, Thrive and Help Revive Downtown Neighborhood
By Jill Wendholt Silva Thelma’s Kitchen is a non-profit, pay-what-you-can café. Ruby Jean’s is a for-profit juicery. What do these two businesses have in common? Try food, an address near 31st and Troost on the edge of greater downtown and a people-centered approach to urban redevelopment. “What we need in order to have a resilient…
Thirsty? Your Hoppy Guide to the Downtown KC Craft Beer Scene
(Editor’s note: This post was last updated Jan. 28, 2022) By Brian McTavish Kansas City’s downtown craft beer scene traces its hoppy roots back to Nov. 17, 1989. That’s the date John McDonald, founder of Boulevard Brewing, delivered his first keg of Pale Ale to Ponak’s Mexican Kitchen just a few blocks down the road…