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
Pair of Downtown Festivals Saturday Promises a Great Day of Beer and Music
By Kevin Collison A pair of fun annual events are overlapping Saturday in downtown Kansas City, promising a day of great live music and a huge selection of craft beers. Beginning at 3 p.m., the Ninth Annual KC Beer Fest will take over Grand Boulevard from 13th to 14th streets and the adjoining Power &…
Councilwoman Says New Independent Poll Reveals “Tide Has Turned” in Support for New KCI Terminal
By Kevin Collison Kansas City Councilwoman Jolie Justus, a key player in the city’s effort to build a new airport terminal, said today an independent “sophisticated” poll commissioned by civic leaders found 55 percent of frequent voters support the project. “The data shows the tide has turned,” Justus told a meeting of the Downtown Council…
Mean Mule Plans to Start Kicking in its Own Crossroads Stall Early Next Year
By Kevin Collison The growing thirst for tequila is inspiring a young couple and their friend to open what they believe will be the nation’s fifth agave distillery in the Crossroads District in January. Jeff and Meg Evans, and Patrick Little, are the co-owners of Mean Mule Distilling, and they plan to be start at…
Sale of Historic Kansas City Star Building Completed, New Owner Weighing Options for Redevelopment
By Kevin Collison The sale of The Kansas City Star building was completed last week although the new owner has no immediate plans to redevelop the historic property at 1729 Grand Blvd. “I’ve worked a little over a year on the transaction so I’m excited to complete the acquisition,” Vince Bryant of 3-D Development says….
Groundbreaking for $25 Million Hampton Inn Expected Soon, Latest Hotel in Growing Crossroads District Market
By Kevin Collison A seven-story Hampton Inn hotel on the northeast corner of 16th and Main is expected to start construction in October, a project that is reinforcing the Crossroads reputation as the hip place to stay downtown. “It’s a perfect fit, right on the streetcar and near the incredible restaurants in the Crossroads,” said…
Irish Fest Brings Lots of Gaelic Fun and Dollars to Downtown Kansas City This Labor Day Weekend
Kansas City Irish Fest 2017 kicks off its traditional Labor Day weekend Friday, and its growing success mirrors the rebound of downtown since the event relocated to Crown Center in 2004 after a soaking debut on the riverfront. “In 2002, downtown was a bit of a ghost town during the week, and a virtual one…
Huge Global Audience Views Dramatic Time-Lapse Video of Downtown Kansas City During Eclipse
By Kevin Collison What started as a brainstorming session at the World War I National Museum and Memorial has been seen by almost 1.3 million people on Facebook, a 48-second time-lapse video of downtown Kansas City during last week’s total eclipse. The dramatic video taken from the top of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas…
Quality Hill Residents Tired of Being in the Dark
By Kevin Collison When the Quality Hill neighborhood first opened in the mid-1980s on the west side of downtown, among its charms were the old-fashioned black street lamps that complemented its quiet, leafy streets and brick residences. These days however, many of the original 120 street lamps have gone dark, leaving residents upset and confused…
New Development Site in River Market Considered Potential Location for Mid-Rise Apartment Project
By Kevin Collison A massive industrial plant at First and Grand that opened in 1904 to supply electricity to the old Kansas City streetcar system may wind up capitalizing on the popularity of its revival. Veolia energy, the French firm that began operating the five-story behemoth in 2008, has begun marketing a nearby four-acre site…
Beyond the Loop Offers Alternatives for O’Neil Bridge and North Loop Freeway
By Kevin Collison The public got their first look at a menu of ideas for reimagining the North Loop freeway in downtown Kansas City and the aging Buck O’Neil Bridge at an open house Tuesday. The Mid-America Regional Council hosted a study process that’s being being called “Beyond the Loop.” It’s considered an opportunity to…