Civic Affairs
Dream of Reconnecting Downtown to Crossroads with Park Over South Loop Costs Much Less
By Kevin Collison A longtime dream to reconnect downtown with the Crossroads by decking the 1960s era South Loop trench may be closer to reality under a new plan that slices more than $60 million from earlier cost estimates. The study done by HNTB at the request of the Downtown Council and partly funded by…
Crossroads Academy Finds Downtown Home for 600-Student Prep School
By Kevin Collison The Crossroads Academy has found a permanent home for its long-awaited downtown high school, the historic Thayer Building at 816 Broadway. Acquiring the building marks the culmination of a educational journey that began in 2012 when the downtown charter school opened with 190 elementary students in a former office building at 1015…
Downtown Council Celebrates with Urban Heroes and Slow Jam
By Kevin Collison The resurgence of downtown Kansas City, from its dark days 20 years ago to a vibrant place that was “Amazon’s loss,” was celebrated last week at events hosted by the Downtown Council. About 1,000 people attended the organization’s annual luncheon Friday at the Bartle Hall Grand Ballroom. Four Urban Heroes were honored…
Children’s Mercy Hospital Launches Construction of Nine-Story Research Building
Construction has begun on a nine-story research building at the Children’s Mercy Hospital downtown campus following record donations totaling $150 million from the Hall Family Foundation and the Sunderland Foundation. When completed in early 2020, employment at the Children’s Research Institute is projected to grow ten-fold, hospital spokeswoman Lisa Augustine said. “It’s hard to put a number…
Downtown Council Holiday Drive Collects Clothing and Toys for Homeless Families
The Downtown Council of Kansas City is rolling out the holiday barrels again to collect coats, clothing and toys for homeless families who use the services of ReStart. Sean O’Byrne, vice president of the downtown owners and property association, said this is the 15th year the council has collected donations for the individuals and families…