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
Union Station to Shine with $5M ‘Largest Single Gift’
By Kevin Collison Union Station has hit the donor jackpot with a $5 million gift from the Sunderland Foundation, a windfall that will greatly enhance the grand building restored with the help of metro voters in 1999. “It’s the largest, single gift we’ve received since reopening as a donor gift,” said George Guastello, Union Station…
Union Station Shines With $5 Million Donation From Sunderland Foundation
Union Station has hit the donor jackpot with a $5 million gift from the Sunderland Foundation, a windfall that will greatly enhance the grand building restored with the help of area voters in 1999.
Persistence Bears Fruit at 2000 Vine Redevelopment
(Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on Aug. 20.) By Kevin Collison The developers of the 2000 Vine historic redevelopment are beginning to taste the fruits of their hard work over the past three years, but are candid describing how tough it can be doing projects on the East Side. “It’s become painfully clear and…
Historic Mason Building on Grand Could Become $11M Boutique Hotel
By Kevin Collison The historic Mason Building, now an inconspicuous office building wedged along Grand Boulevard, could become a 35-room boutique hotel, bar and restaurant if plans being pursued by a St. Louis developer come to fruition. Metropolitan Build has submitted preliminary inquiries at City Hall to determine whether the old building could become the…
Taco Bell Cantina Ringing Soon in Westport
Taco Bell’s spiced up “Cantina” concept is coming to Westport, which means you’ll be able to have a beer with your bean burrito and, if turns out to be like the one in Nashville, listen to live music. Work is underway for a 2,500 square-foot Taco Bell Cantina at the southeast corner of Broadway and…
St. Louis Gets First Urban Target, Can KC Be Far Behind?
By Kevin Collison The announcement last week Target plans to open one of its smaller urban stores as part of a midtown St. Louis development has prompted renewed speculation about when the chain plans something similar here. Perhaps as early as next year, according to real estate sources, although exactly where in Kansas City’s “River-Crown-Plaza”…
Kaw Makeover Including New Park, Bike Trails, Opening Next October
By Kevin Collison After decades of being a scraggly backwater, the Kaw River in the West Bottoms will be transformed with a new park and bicycle trail a year from now following action by the Unified Government of Wyandotte County. The UG commissioners approved an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers earlier this…
Historic Oglesby Hotel Being Restored as Affordable Housing on Troost
By Kevin Collison The historic Oglesby Hotel near 39th and Troost is being preserved and renovated as an affordable apartment project thanks to its good neighbor, St. James Catholic Church. The 130 year-old, Queen Anne-style mansion will find new life providing 25, one-bedroom apartments renting for $650 per month. Eight units will be eligible for…
Riverfront Soccer Stadium Planned, Includes ‘Massive’ Bar Overlooking Water
By Kevin Collison A $70 million, privately-funded women’s professional soccer stadium planned for the riverfront should spur more intensive residential development and quicken the pace of streetcar expansion. “I view this more as a gem you build the verticality around,” said Jon Stephens, Port KC president and CEO. “We’re still committed to millions of square feet…
Riverfront Soccer Stadium Planned, Big Step Up for Future Port KC Projects
A $70 million, privately funded women’s professional soccer stadium planned for the riverfront should spur future housing projects and quicken streetcar expansion.









