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
A Missed Starbucks Opportunity Brews Call for Downtown Office Development
By Kevin Collison Lack of a big chunk of premier, new office space likely cost downtown Kansas City a major Starbucks operation with 900 jobs last summer, and how to address that challenge was the focus recently of the second annual Downtown Office Summit. Mayor Sly James kicked off the summit organized by the Downtown…
KCATA Hopes New Transit Center Will Spur East Village Redevelopment
By Kevin Collison The groundbreaking for the $5 million East Village Transit Center at 12th and Charlotte is being viewed partly as a catalyst to attract more investment to a multi-block redevelopment area that has languished more than a decade. “We’re looking at getting input from developers for transportation-oriented development, possibly affordable housing, retail…we’d like…
Spectacular Liberty Memorial Poppy Display to Honor Centennial of World War I Armistice
“In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row…” “In Flanders Fields,” written by Lt. Col. John McCrae in 1915 to honor a fallen comrade. By Kevin Collison More than 5,000 poppies, the symbol of the fallen soldiers of World War I, will illuminate Liberty Memorial beginning next Friday to mark the centennial…
Historic KC Club Reopens as Event Space Following $3M Renovation
By Kevin Collison A former downtown gathering place for Kansas City power brokers back in the day has reopened as spiffed-up venue for a new generation of festive occasions and business gatherings. The historic University Club building at 918 Baltimore, which opened in 1923, has been converted to a four-level event space that can accommodate…
Meddys Bringing Eastern Mediterranean Cuisine to Crossroads
By Kevin Collison Meddys, a popular Wichita restaurant serving healthy dishes from Lebanon and the Eastern Mediterranean region, plans to open its first out-of-town outlet in the Crossroads by next summer. “We love that market and we feel there’s a lot of energy in it,” said Alex Harb, founder of Meddys. “It’s a beautiful city…
Drury Checks Out on Proposed Downtown Hotel
By Kevin Collison Drury Hotels has scrapped its plan to build a 242-room downtown hotel, saying the incentive package recommended by SB Friedman, a city consultant, would not provide what the firm believed was a “reasonable” return on its investment. Drury had wanted to demolish the vacant Board of Education building at 1211 McGee and…
Troost Gets Another Boost with 89-Unit Apartment Project at Linwood
By Kevin Collison A $14 million apartment project planned for the southwest corner of Linwood and Troost is moving forward following approval of a 25-year property tax abatement by a city development agency last week. UC-B Properties intends to build an 89-unit project at the key intersection, the latest new investment along Troost. Even with…
Developer Wins Final Approval for $78M East Crossroads Apartment Project
By Kevin Collison The $72 million East Crossroads apartment development, a huge residential investment in one of downtown’s trendiest areas, won approval for tax incentives Thursday and is expected to begin construction in December. The 338-unit project being developed by Indianapolis-based Milhaus marks the biggest investment in new construction in an area that has been…
Wonder Shops + Flats Add Yeast to Ongoing Troost Revival
By Kevin Collison The Troost revival is continuing to rise with the Wonder Shops + Flats mixed-use development nearing completion in the former Wonder Bread bakery at the corner of East 30th Street. The 150,000 square-foot building, which opened in 1909 as Continental Bakers before shifting to Wonder Bread, has been restored with 87 apartments,…
Crossroads Hotel a Striking Addition to Downtown Hospitality Scene
By Kevin Collison The bland exterior of the new Crossroads Hotel at 2101 Central may fool you, but once inside the historic brick shell you’ll discover and enjoy a post-industrial chic vibe that’s right out of New York’s famed SoHo District. The partnership between Chicago-based Simeone Deary Design Group and el dorado architects has created…