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
Made in KC Grows Urban Footprint
By Kevin Collison At a time traditional retail is struggling, Made in KC is bucking the trend with an expansion in the works at its Country Club Plaza outlet, a new downtown café and finally, a chance to serve beer and wine at its streetcar location in the River Market. “I think Kansas City understands…
816 Day to Cap Downtown Scavenger Hunt
This year’s 816 Day scheduled for Monday (Aug. 16) is trying something new, a downtown scavenger hunt paired with Bingo aimed at helping businesses and attractions coping with the Covid pandemic. “We’re encouraging people to get out and visit local restaurants and other establishments,” said Jared Campbell of the Downtown Council. “We’re focusing not only…
‘Upcycled’ Container Retail Project Proposed for River Market
By Kevin Collison A Denver developer is proposing to ‘upcycle’ shipping containers and build a commercial marketplace at 400 Delaware, partly healing the streetscape wound created by a bombing in what was then the River Quay in 1977. Craig Slawson of Epoch Developments, who owns multiple properties in the River Market, wants to stack about…
Arts Asylum Relocating from Downtown to East Brookside
By Kevin Collison The Arts Asylum, a downtown Kansas City cultural destination for 10 years, is closing later the year and relocating to new space in the Brookside neighborhood, a move partly prompted by the lingering Covid pandemic. “We thought we were on an upswing and with a new season starting we were ready to…
Citydogs Opening Complete Canine Complex in Crossroads
By Kevin Collison Downtown dog owners will have a new place to board, pamper and play with their pooches when Citydogs opens Aug. 23 at a spacious indoor/outdoor complex at 20th and Walnut streets in the Crossroads. “We decided to open in the Crossroads mostly to meet the needs of all the residents living there,”…
Power & Light Exec Transitions To New Job After Dozen Years at Helm
(Updated Feb. 9, 2022: Nick Benjamin is no longer employed by the Cordish Cos. When asked specifically about his departure, a Cordish spokesperson issued this statement: “The Power & Light District remains under the strong leadership of John Moncke and his senior leadership team. We expect a banner year for the District in 2022 including…
No Joke, Car Punches Laugh-O-Gram Building
By Kevin Collison The driver of a black Dodge Charger crashed the renovation party underway at the historic Laugh-O-Gram building near 31st and Troost over the weekend, leaving a hole in the structure and the project budget. “The last thing we expected was someone running into the building, we’d been making good progress,” said Gary…
Photographer Wants to Brighten Downtown with Neon Museum
By Kevin Collison Well known Kansas City photographer, Nick Vedros, is on a quest to create a downtown museum for one of advertising’s more colorful tools, the vintage neon signs that once touted businesses. “In 2017, I noticed many neon signs were in decline,” Vedros said. “There’s nothing more a part of our urban fabric…
Rieger Plugging Electric Park Garden Bar into East Bottoms Destination
Two years after opening his destination distillery in the East Bottoms, Andy Rieger of J. Rieger & Co. is adding an outdoor patio bar and atrium called Electric Park Garden Bar this fall. The 11,000 square-foot facility is named after the long-gone Electric Park, an amusement park that entertained Kansas Citians arriving on streetcars in…
Cerner Plans to Sell KCK Campus, Move Employees to South Kansas City
By Kevin Collison Cerner plans to sell its “Continuous Campus” in western Wyandotte County and relocate the remaining employees to its South Kansas City Bannister campus, according to an internal employee memo obtained by CityScene KC. The two-building office campus located at the entrance to Village West off Interstate 435 was developed as part of…