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 MAX Bus Rapid Transit Route Going Straight, Celebration This Sunday
The downtown MAX rapid transit line is going straight this Sunday after 12 years in operation. The Kansas City Transportation Authority is shifting the popular express bus line to a direct north-south route down Grand Boulevard from Crown Center to the River Market and is holding a celebration in Washington Square Park to inaugurate the…
McCownGordon Purchases Downtown Building for New Headquarters, Investing $10.5 Million to Renovate
By Kevin Collison McCownGordon Construction has purchased a three-story building at 850 Main St. and plans to spend $10.5 million renovating it as its new headquarters. The 45,000 square-foot building had been owned by the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and was occupied by Catholic Charities It was part of a 2010 acquisition of…
Almost Full Commerce Tower Holds Grand Opening; Added Bonus, Dowdy CVS Pharmacy Next Door Getting New Look
By Kevin Collison The $139 million redevelopment of the historic Commerce Tower, described as a ‘vertical neighborhood,’ held its grand opening this week and 95 percent of its 355 apartments are expected to be leased by the end of November. “I knew it was going to do well, but the biggest thing is we’ve had…
Winslow’s BBQ Closing its Doors Next Month after 46 Years in the River Market
By Kevin Collison Winslow’s BBQ, a City Market institution that traces its roots to the “roaring” River Quay days in 1971, is going out of business next month. The barbecue joint and its 300-seat outdoor patio overlooking the City Market vendors has been a familiar fixture for generations, but that will all end Oct. 15,…
Cafe al Dente Closing Saturday, New Denver Landlord Begins Bringing Fresh Tenants to River Market
By Kevin Collison Cafe al Dente is closing after 17 years in the River Market, the first business to depart following the purchase of its building and others along Delaware Street by a Denver investor. The Italian restaurant posted on its Facebook Page this week it was being “kicked out” of its space at 412…
New Power & Light District Mural a Sky-High Tribute to Kansas City’s African-American Cultural and Sports Heritage
By Kevin Collison Alexander Austin has worked on some big canvasses as one of the city’s preeminent street muralists, but the new assignment he’s executing in the Power & Light District is taking him to an even higher level. As in working up to 80 feet above street level painting a mural over a half-football…
Messenger Coffee Sending Savory Aroma of Roasting Beans and Baking Bread to Grand Boulevard
By Kevin Collison The intersection of 17th and Grand will soon become the most irresistible olfactory zone in downtown Kansas City with the arrival Oct. 21 of Messenger Coffee Co. Matt Matsch, CEO and managing partner of Messenger, and his partners have converted a former car dealership at 1624 Grand Blvd. into what they hope…
ULI Experts Recommend Holding Off on North Loop, Focus on Improving Highway 9 and Independence Avenue Instead
By Kevin Collison The North Loop freeway that divides the River Market from the rest of downtown won’t be going away anytime soon if the advice of a panel of national urban planning experts is followed. Bottom line, there’s too much easily developable land already available downtown to make it cost effective to redevelop the…
Apartment Development at 27th and Troost Near Hospital Hill Receives Nod for Tax Incentives
By Kevin Collison Construction is expected to begin this fall on a $24 million apartment project that will replace a vacant, decrepit block at 27th and Troost with 182 market-rate residences. The new development is next to the Beacon Hill neighborhood and a major market will be employees and students at the nearby Hospital Hill…
Denver Postcard: Cost of Millennial Utopia, Downtown Apartments Cost Over 50 Percent Above KC
By Kevin Collison During a recent visit to old friends in Denver, I got a kick out of their 20-something son’s T-shirt. On it was an image of the retro-wooden, highway sign you see crossing the border: “Welcome to Colorful Colorado.” Beneath it read “No Vacancy.” It was telling of the huge growth boom going…