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
Historic Attucks School to Become Major Art Center for 18th & Vine
The historic Attucks School at 1815 Woodland Ave. is being renovated as a major art center. It opened in 1905 to serve Black public school students.
Another Key Corner Acquired Along Streetcar Extension Route
By Kevin Collison Another key corner along the planned Main Street streetcar route at 31st street has been acquired by a developer including the 134 year-old Jeserich building and an adjacent building housing Lufti’s Fried Fish. An entity controlled by PriceMgmtCo, 31 Main LLC, has bought the half-dozen properties northeast of 31st and Main where…
Hotel Kansas City Looks to Local Artists for Style
By Kevin Collison The recently-opened Hotel Kansas City has emerged as a significant new patron of local artists and crafts people, spending an estimated $175,000 to purchase their works in keeping with its homegrown style. “With our name being Hotel Kansas City, we wanted to have that local flavor,” said Ryan Baldwin, general manager. From…
Crown Center Shops Swaps Crayons for Quesadillas
Adios crayons, hola quesadillas, Crown Center Shops has landed a Tex-Mex restaurant to fill the space once occupied by Crayola Café. The new La Fuente Mexican Street Food is part of a reshuffle at the shopping center that also includes the expansion of Initial, a streetwear shoe and clothing boutique, and a new location for…
Council Approves Affordable Housing Set-Aside, Offers Developers Olive Branch
By Kevin Collison The City Council approved an affordable housing set-aside mandate for projects receiving tax incentives Thursday, but also offered an olive branch to developers who warn it could sabotage further investment in the city. The ordinance by Councilwoman Melissa Robinson will require developers who receive tax incentives such as property tax abatements and…
Historic Ozark Building at Ninth and Grand Slated for Hotel…Eventually
By Kevin Collison A Little Rock hotel developer has bought the historic Ozark building at Ninth and Grand and plans to ultimately redevelop it as a 240-room AC Hotels by Marriott at some point in the post-pandemic future. Beechwood Pinnacle Hotels purchased the buildings at 906-910 Grand and a nearby parking lot at 710 Walnut…
Town Pavilion Freshens Lobby With $5M Renovation
The 38-story Town Pavilion office building is undergoing what’s described as a $5 million renovation of its lobby and retail space to up its game from its 1980s roots. The tower, which opened as the AT&T Town Pavilion in 1987, is 90 percent occupied and owner Copaken Brooks wants to upgrade its common areas and…
Cliff’s Taphouse Taking Former Ollie’s Space at Martini Corner
By Kevin Collison Larry Kime is bullish about Martini Corner and the growing nearby neighborhoods, making him excited about the prospects for his new restaurant and bar opening in the former Ollie’s Local space. “Driving through Union Hill and Beacon Hill, it blew me away the amount of upper-end houses, townhouses and apartments, and the…
Monarchs 21st C Reboot Honors Past and Helps Museum’s Future
By Kevin Collison While the new Kansas City Monarchs reboot is a salute to the Negro Leagues storied past, it also should yield significant revenues for the future of its signature museum at the 18th & Vine Historic District. The announcement the former T-Bones minor league ball club will be called the Kansas City Monarchs…
River Market’s Confluence Acquires Denver Firm, Now in Nine Cities
By Kevin Collison Confluence, a River Market-based firm involved in several big downtown improvement plans, has acquired a Denver firm, expanding its office network to nine cities including Chicago and Minneapolis. The landscape architecture firm headquartered at 417 Delaware has bought studioINSITE of Denver, bringing its total number of employees to more than 70, with…